FM2
11-23-2001, 10:43 AM
Taken from the guides's forecast:
Soapbox update: The 2002 season for Spring Chinook is still somewhat
undecided. Your input is needed and valuable. It is difficult for us to
make an argument that there are tens of thousands more sportfishers than
commercial fishers when they don't hear from us!!!
The FINAL decision will be made at the Washington Commission on December
7th or 8th, and at the Oregon Commission December 14th. Mark your
calendars, if this is an important fishery to you or your business.
The Commission will accept written comment on the options through Dec. 13,
2001. Write to ODFW Commission, PO Box 59, Portland, OR 97207. Public
testimony will be taken at the next Commission meeting on Dec. 14, 2001 in
Portland. For more information about the options, contact ODFW Fish
Division at (503) 872-5252.
To set spring chinook fisheries, the Commission has to consider an
equitable split between commercial and sport harvest for Willamette spring
chinook and splitting an allowed impact to wild Upriver Columbia spring
chinook. The allowed total impact ranges from 0.85 to 1.7 percent of the
wild run, depending on the number of fish.
Two allocation options presented by staff for the harvest of Willamette
River fish in Lower Willamette and Lower Columbia River fisheries are
patterned after Willamette spring chinook allocation plans in place from
1987-1997. No fishing would be allowed if the hatchery run size is less
than 23,000 fish. Sport fishing would be allowed with a run size between
23,000 and 40,000 fish. Splitting the hatchery fish run between commercial
and sport interests would occur when it reaches 40,000. Option One allows
sport anglers to harvest 76 percent of a run-size of 40,000 to 75,000 fish
and 70 percent if the run is greater than 75,000. Option Two uses a more
graduated approach for the allocation as the run size increases, which has
the effect of providing more sport fishing when there is between 40,000 and
50,000 fish.
In 2001, the Willamette spring chinook run was 80,000 fish and the Upriver
spring chinook run was 417,000 fish.
The second consideration is the sharing of Upriver wild impacts. ODFW staff
presented three options. The first option establishes a decision matrix
with a sliding scale based on run size of Upriver hatchery and wild fish
and the Willamette hatchery run size. A sport fishery in the Lower Columbia
through April would be allowed if the Willamette run was greater than
40,000 and the Upriver run was greater than 75,000.
The second option establishes a 50-50 split of the impact, which would
likely allow a full April sport fishery if the Upriver run is greater than
75,000 fish. The third option sets the sport impact rate at 1 percent,
which provides a high likelihood of a full April sport fishery with Upriver
runs greater than 50,000. However, under the third option, commercial
interests would not have access to their Willamette allocation during years
of low Upriver runs.
Maybe someone could prepare a form letter template with a link that folks could download, sign and send in!
Soapbox update: The 2002 season for Spring Chinook is still somewhat
undecided. Your input is needed and valuable. It is difficult for us to
make an argument that there are tens of thousands more sportfishers than
commercial fishers when they don't hear from us!!!
The FINAL decision will be made at the Washington Commission on December
7th or 8th, and at the Oregon Commission December 14th. Mark your
calendars, if this is an important fishery to you or your business.
The Commission will accept written comment on the options through Dec. 13,
2001. Write to ODFW Commission, PO Box 59, Portland, OR 97207. Public
testimony will be taken at the next Commission meeting on Dec. 14, 2001 in
Portland. For more information about the options, contact ODFW Fish
Division at (503) 872-5252.
To set spring chinook fisheries, the Commission has to consider an
equitable split between commercial and sport harvest for Willamette spring
chinook and splitting an allowed impact to wild Upriver Columbia spring
chinook. The allowed total impact ranges from 0.85 to 1.7 percent of the
wild run, depending on the number of fish.
Two allocation options presented by staff for the harvest of Willamette
River fish in Lower Willamette and Lower Columbia River fisheries are
patterned after Willamette spring chinook allocation plans in place from
1987-1997. No fishing would be allowed if the hatchery run size is less
than 23,000 fish. Sport fishing would be allowed with a run size between
23,000 and 40,000 fish. Splitting the hatchery fish run between commercial
and sport interests would occur when it reaches 40,000. Option One allows
sport anglers to harvest 76 percent of a run-size of 40,000 to 75,000 fish
and 70 percent if the run is greater than 75,000. Option Two uses a more
graduated approach for the allocation as the run size increases, which has
the effect of providing more sport fishing when there is between 40,000 and
50,000 fish.
In 2001, the Willamette spring chinook run was 80,000 fish and the Upriver
spring chinook run was 417,000 fish.
The second consideration is the sharing of Upriver wild impacts. ODFW staff
presented three options. The first option establishes a decision matrix
with a sliding scale based on run size of Upriver hatchery and wild fish
and the Willamette hatchery run size. A sport fishery in the Lower Columbia
through April would be allowed if the Willamette run was greater than
40,000 and the Upriver run was greater than 75,000.
The second option establishes a 50-50 split of the impact, which would
likely allow a full April sport fishery if the Upriver run is greater than
75,000 fish. The third option sets the sport impact rate at 1 percent,
which provides a high likelihood of a full April sport fishery with Upriver
runs greater than 50,000. However, under the third option, commercial
interests would not have access to their Willamette allocation during years
of low Upriver runs.
Maybe someone could prepare a form letter template with a link that folks could download, sign and send in!