This article is missing any description of concrete plans to REDUCE MAINSTEM GILLNETTING which is ostensibly the reason these smolts are being transfered. They seem to be working hard on the details of reallocating the fish, but nothing more than a vague mention of less mainstem gillnetting. When does that happen?
That's spot on. The reduction of gillnetting was part of ODFW's presentation on the transfer, but it did not make the final commission action. From what I was told, "some commissioners wanted to wait and see...." Meanwhile, back at the sport fishing ranch, those fish are gone.
The state needs to throw the sportanglers a bone in compensation for the 1 million spring chinook smolt net pen transfer deal.
The 06 commercial spring chinook harvest was @12K fish, of those fish, 6K were taken in the net pen Safe Areas.
Couple that with the fact that the commercials are not utilizing the Safe Areas to their fullest potential, makes Safe For Salmon a logical next step in reducing ESA impacts on wild fish.
Budget consideration may also become an issue, BPA has already spent $$$millions$$$ setting up the net pen infrastructure over the past 10 years, which makes Safe For Salmon Plan a fairly cheap alternative to the status quo.
The author is either ignorant of many of the underlying issues or felt compelled to write an article slanted towards ODFW’s position. assout:
First, the Gillnetters do not have a “Quota” of hatchery salmon that they fill. They are allowed an impact upon the Endangered salmon that they are allowed to kill. (for god’s sake do not mention that)
Second, “hatchery smolts generally return to the fishery and are caught by Gillnetters, anglers or wind up back at the hatchery. (Isn’t the lions share caught by Gillnetters, don’t want to let that out)
Finally. The author seems to chastise fishermen for not realizing that the full million smolts to be transferred does not occur until 2014. Regardless of the final date, the million is going to go. We are lucky the author did not indicate fishermen had extra time because it takes three years after the final release for the smolts to return so fishermen get the fish until 2017…
The piece seems written as a favor to someone at ODFW. What ties does the author have to ODFW staff in Eugene? Has he fished with them? Is he related? (that one is for you Bill:wink:)
Not much and yes, with SAFE for Salmon (which calls for fewer smolts from uprive).
When that many smolts are taken from hatcheries and spread out, it seems like a lot, but the overall effect isn't as great in the adult return because of the wide variability. In smaller run years like last year (this year's is actually a good bit higher, but still concerning...only reason so many fewer are available to catch downriver is like on the Columbia, biologists wanted to ensure upriver seasons above the falls), it might make some difference, but again...not as much as it seems.
At some point, assuming license increases for commercials as well as sport, the state can easily raise more fish...Also, Washington needs to step in and contribute some of those smolts as well.
Guy Norman of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the commissions not to expect help soon getting extra spring chinook production out of the Cowlitz, Kalama and Lewis rivers.
Hatcheries on the Cowlitz and Lewis rivers are financed by utility companies as compensation for habitat losses caused by their hydroelectric dams.
Norman said those hatcheries have specific production requirements for their lower basins, plus support restoration of salmon in their upper basins.
Kalama Falls Hatchery is supported by the federal goverment through the Mitchell Act, passed in 1938 to provide fish as mitigation for losses in the Columbia River due to dams.
“We don’t have a very viable option soon,’’ Norman said.
Getting extra spring chinook from the Washington-side tributaries may be possible, but only after going through a process with the utility companies, he added.
The WDFWC has been saving our collective CR sportfishing behinds for a few years now. Fix your commission and then lets talk.
In the meantime with so many fish bound for Idaho waters maybe you should convince them to give a few million fish to the SAFE zones. I wonder if they would mind the drive.
Produce the extra smolts with gill net money and you have my blessing...
"If the commercial fleet were able to fill its allotted harvest quota in the side channels, no nets would need be set in the Columbia River proper"
The commission basically directed our department to figure out a way of increasing that special areas fishery,” Ziller said
This is another plan for more fish for the commercials and less fish for the sporties, it is well known the ODFW commision is an extension of the gillnet community and until that board's interests change this plan needs to be fought by the sportfishing community. This plan is perfectly catered for the netters to fish the "safe areas early" then mop up the main stream to fill out thier quotos aka esa impacts. These guys are light years ahead of us. If the "safe plan" included the elimination of all main stream gillnetting this plan would be more acceptable, but that is not what is being proposed.
Safe For Salmon Plan removes gillnets from the mainstem, and Legislatively shifts their harvest to the net pen safe areas.
No more commercial netting of sturgeon or shad, it will be net pen safe netting only.
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