Ocean Salmon season
Here are the new ocean regs. Looks like I need to get my day off changed from Fri. to Mon.
For Immediate Release April 12, 2002
2002 Ocean Salmon Fishing Seasons Adopted
PORTLAND - Seeking to protect coho stocks and take advantage of abundant chinook returns, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted commercial and recreational ocean salmon seasons today for state waters that are reduced from the 2001 seasons. In addition, salmon seasons were amended for some inland waters.
The adopted ocean seasons mirror those adopted on April 11 by the Pacific Fishery Management Council for waters from three to 200 miles out to sea. A summary booklet of the adopted regulations will be distributed in late April at license agents and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) offices.
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission is the rule making body for ODFW. The seven member panel meets monthly to adopt rules for the ODFW to implement.
The adopted ocean regulations take advantage of large Columbia River and Sacramento River fall chinook returns while protecting threatened stocks of native coho.
The adopted sport seasons are:
*Columbia River Mouth at Buoy 10: The 2002 fishing season for the Columbia River mouth at Buoy 10 is Aug. 1- Dec. 31 with a two fish daily bag limit. Harvested coho must be adipose fin-clipped.
Whereas fall chinook returns to the Columbia River are projected to be strong, the 2002 Columbia return of coho is predicted to be about 150,000 fish and the Buoy 10 total catch is expected to be 20,000 coho. In 2001, the return to the river mouth of hatchery coho was about 1.1 million with a harvest of 130,000 in the Buoy 10 fishery.
*Lower Willamette River, Clackamas River, Eagle Creek, and Sandy River: Existing hatchery coho seasons were amended to open a month early on Aug. 1.
*Leadbetter Point (Wash.) south to Cape Falcon: Open July 7 to Sept. 30 or until 55,700 fin-clipped coho are harvested. The fishery is open weekly Sunday through Thursday through Aug. 15 then seven days per week thereafter. The daily bag limit is two salmon per day; all coho must be adipose fin-clipped. The season will be managed with a chinook guideline of 11,200. The area from Tillamook Head south to Cape Falcon closes Aug. 1.
*Cape Falcon south to Humbug Mountain: Open seven days a week April 1 -Oct. 31 for all salmon except coho, except as provided in the selective coho fishery. The daily bag limit is two salmon per day. From July 7 - Aug. 4, adipose fin-clipped coho may be retained within the two fish per day bag limit until a quota of 22,500 fin-clipped coho is reached, however, only six fish may be harvested in seven consecutive days. On Aug. 5, or when the coho quota is reached, the "all salmon except coho" season reopens.
*Humbug Mountain south to Horse Mountain (Calif.): Open seven days a week May 15 - June 30, and July 3 - 4, and Aug. 1 - Sept. 15 for all salmon except coho with a daily bag limit of two fish per day and no more than six may be harvested in seven consecutive days.
*Tillamook Area: The Terminal Area is open April 1 - Nov. 15 for chinook salmon. The Triangular Control Zone and Bay are open April 1 -July 31 for fin-clipped spring chinook. Beginning Aug. 1 the fall salmon fishery commences and the bay is opened through Dec. 31 for chinook salmon and through Oct. 31 for adipose fin-clipped coho. The fall season bag limits are two adult chinook and five jack salmon per day; no more than four chinook may be harvested in seven consecutive days. The total harvest is limited to 10 chinook in Tillamook, Nehalem, and Nestucca basins in the aggregate.
*Lower estuary summertime closures were removed for Nestucca River, Umpqua River, Coos River, Coquille River, and Elk River.
*Port Orford/Elk River Area: Open Nov. 1 - Dec. 15 with a daily bag limit of two chinook with a minimum size of 20 inches.
*In addition adipose fin-clipped coho seasons were expanded and run Aug. 1 - Dec. 31 for Coos Bay, Coquille River and Rogue River.
The Commission also adopted commercial troll salmon seasons for the ocean and nearshore ocean Tillamook Terminal Area, Elk River Terminal Area, and the Chetco River Terminal Area.
The total impacts (mortalities) to Oregon coastal natural coho (OCN) from the adopted fisheries and from incidental catches in other fisheries are estimated to be 12.3 percent of the population, which is less than the maximum allowable of 15 percent under the PFMC Salmon Plan. Lower Columbia River wild coho were listed as endangered under Oregon's Endangered Species Act in 1999. The total impacts to those populations from the adopted 2002 fisheries and from incidental catches in other fisheries are estimated to be 12.6 percent, which is less than the maximum allowable of 14 percent under the Lower Columbia ODFW coho management plan.
__________________
Mike
|
kenai
Linear Mode
