Ocean Salmon/ Halibut From ODFW FYI.

[Pilar]

BlueWater
Member # 1406 posted 03-28-2002 08:22 PM
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Had not seen this posted yet.
PORTLAND — Recent action by state and federal agencies established sport and commercial seasons for spring fisheries off the Oregon coast. Additional decisions on summer fisheries for
salmon will be made April 12. A summary of the new rules follows:

-Ocean Sport Salmon: Season open April 1-30, 2002 for all salmon species except coho south of Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain. The daily catch limit is two fish per day and no more than
six fish in seven consecutive days. Chinook less than 20 inches long must be released. Anglers must use barbless hooks when fishing for salmon in the ocean outside of coastal bays.

-Ocean Commercial Troll Salmon: Season opened from Cape Falcon to the Oregon- California border March 20 and will close April 30 for all salmon except coho.

-Ocean Sport Halibut: Seasons begin May 1 and are managed on a quota basis. The daily bag limit is the first halibut 32 inches or longer in length. Oregon anglers are limited to six halibut per
year.

-From Leadbetter Point, Wash. to Cape Falcon, Ore., the season is open seven days a week in all-depth waters through Sept. 30 or until a quota of 11,188 pounds is met.

-From Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain, the season inside the 30-fathom curve is open seven days a week May 1 through Sept. 30 or until a quota of 19,797 pounds is met. Anglers may fish
for halibut in all-depth waters in this area on May, 10, 11, 17 and 18. Additional all-depth fishing days may be established for June and August, depending on the results of the May fishery.

-South of Humbug Mountain: Open May 1 through Sept. 30 seven days a week in all depth waters.

Decisions on sport and commercial salmon seasons after April 30 will be made April 12 by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) and Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission in
separate meetings in Portland. Options under consideration are posted to the PFMC’s website at http://www.pcouncil.org/salmon/salcurr/preii-02.pdf

All three options for sport anglers will lead to reduced fishing opportunities compared to the 2001 season, when anglers routinely caught their limit for coho. This year, hatchery coho returns are
predicted to be 79 percent down from 2001, though wild coho returns are expected to increase by 43 percent. The low hatchery coho returns have resulted in more conservative season options.

North of Cape Falcon, the sport quota options range from 45,000 chinook and 67,500 hatchery coho to 70,000 chinook and 112,500 hatchery coho. The season would open either July 7 or July 14
with closing dates of Sept. 8 or Sept. 30. Season options include Sunday through Thursday fishing in the early season and switching to seven days a week on Aug. 16 or Sept. 1. Two of the three
options include a chinook only fishery north of the Columbia River Control Zone in late May to early June.

South of Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain, three options call for an "all salmon except coho" season April 1 - Oct. 31. Season options for hatchery marked coho range from quotas of 18,000 to
25,000. Season days under consideration include: Sunday-Thursday, July 7-31; Sunday-Thursday, July 15-31; or daily fishing July 21 — Aug. 4.

Humbug Mountain to Horse Mountain season options are: May 25 - July 1 and Aug. 1 — Sept. 2; May 17 — June 30 and Aug. 1 — Sept. 2; and May 15 — June 30 and Aug. 1 — Sept. 15. No
open season is proposed for coho. Weekly harvest limits of four or six fish are also proposed.

Public meetings are scheduled for next week to present the options and hear comments. Meetings will be held:

Coos Bay: 7 p.m., April 1, Red Lion Hotel, 1313 N. Bayshore Drive.
Tillamook: 7 p.m., April 2, Port of Tillamook Bay, 4000 Blimp Blvd.

BlueWater.