ODFW News: Columbia Gillnets Thursday Evening

[Pete]

For Immediate Release Wednesday, March 03, 2004

Commercial spring chinook fishery to occur Thursday evening on the Columbia River

CLACKAMAS - The states of Washington and Oregon working as the Columbia River Compact today authorized a 16-hour commercial gillnet fishery for Thursday afternoon and evening in the lower Columbia River for hatchery-bred spring chinook.

The fish caught by commercial boats in this fishery are prized for their flavor and will soon be found in specialty markets and local restaurants offering fresh local seafood. Spring chinook provide tremendous economic benefit to both the commercial and sport-fishing industries because of its high quality and because it is the first fresh non-farmed salmon of the season. These fish often are marketed as "wild" at fish counters and restaurants because they are caught by commercial boats, even though they are hatchery-bred.

The commercial fishery will begin at 3 p.m., Thursday, March 4, and conclude at 7 a.m., Friday, March 5, from the mouth upstream to Kelley Point, which is near the mouth of the Willamette River. Another 16-hour fishery may occur Tuesday, March 9, depending on the results of a test fishery Sunday. A decision could be made at 11 a.m.. Monday on next week's commercial openers.

Commercial fishermen must use gillnets that have mesh openings no smaller than 9 inches and no larger than 9.75 inches to lessen the chance that steelhead will be caught in them. Nets may not be in the water longer than 45 minutes before being brought in the boat for fish removal. All fish that are not adipose fin-clipped spring chinook must be released. Boats must have a recovery box on board to revive all lethargic or bleeding wild salmon or steelhead that are being returned to the water.

Fish biologists from the Oregon and Washington departments of fish and wildlife predict the total run of Columbia River spring chinook will be the second-highest since 1938, when counting began. About 500,000 wild and hatchery spring chinook are forecast to enter the Columbia River in 2004. Of the total run, 70-80 percent are marked by a missing adipose fin to designate them as "keepers." Biologists estimate a total mainstem harvest of about 50,000 hatchery-bred spring chinook, split between sport anglers and the commercial fishing industry.

Fish managers set the Columbia River spring chinook fishery based on the number of fish expected to return from the ocean and the allowable impact to wild salmon and steelhead stocks listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. "Impacts" are the unintended mortalities associated with handling and releasing wild fish. The allowed non-Indian impacts are 2 percent of the total runs of ESA-listed Snake River spring chinook, Upper Columbia River spring chinook, and Columbia Basin winter steelhead.

The total 2 percent allowable impact is split 1.2 percent to the sport fisheries and 0.8 percent to the commercial fishers for the 2004-2005 seasons.

Sport angling will continue during the commercial fishery. Sport rules currently in effect may be found on the ODFW web site at:
http://www.dfw.state.or.us/ODFWhtml/...g_changes.htm.

In addition, anglers may call 503-947-6001 or 800-720-6339 ext. 76001 to hear recorded information about the commercial fishery in the Columbia River and the current regulations for the sport fishery.

###

Information and Education Division
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
(503) 947-6002

[ 03-03-2004, 04:38 PM: Message edited by: Pete ]