Commercial tribal and nontribal seasons set Jan 31

[bait boy]

January 31, 2002

THE FOLLOWING COLUMBIA RIVER SEASONS WERE SET:

NON-INDIAN COMMERCIAL SHAD FISHERY:

SEASON: Daily from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM
May 20 - May 24 (5 days)
May 28 - May 31 (4 days)
June 3 - June 7 (5 days)
June 10 - June 14 (5 days)
June 17 - June 21 (5 days)
June 24 - June 28 (5 days)

AREA: Area 2S -True north/south line through light #50 near Sandy River mouth upstream to boundary near Beacon Rock
GEAR: Single wall, unslackened, floater gill net, 5 3/8 inch to 6-¼ inch mesh, 10 pound breaking strength. May not exceed 150 fathoms in length nor 40 meshes in depth
ALLOWABLE SALE: Only Shad may be kept and sold. All salmon, walleye, and sturgeon must be immediately returned to the water.

The next COMPACT meeting is scheduled for
10:00 AM, Thursday, March 7, 2002
at Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
2501 SW First Avenue
Portland, Oregon

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE FOLLOWING COLUMBIA RIVER SEASONS WERE SET:

NON-INDIAN COMMERCIAL STURGEON FISHERY:

SEASON: 12:00 PM, Monday, February 4, 2002 to 6:00 PM, Tuesday, February 5
12:00 PM, Monday, February 11, 2002 to 6:00 PM, Tuesday, February 12
12:00 PM, Thursday, February 14, 2002 to 6:00 PM, Friday, February 15
AREA: Mouth to Beacon Rock
SANCTUARIES: Sandy River sanctuary
GEAR: 9-inch minimum and 9-3/4 inch maximum mesh size restriction
ALLOWABLE SALE: Sturgeon and adipose fin-clipped salmon

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE FOLLOWING COLUMBIA RIVER SEASONS WERE SET:

NON-INDIAN SELECT AREAS FISHERY:

Tongue Point/South Channel

AREA: Tongue Point Basin is open to fishing in all waters bounded by a line from the red light at Tongue Point to the flashing green light at Tongue Point to the flashing green light at the rock jetty on the northwesterly tip of Mott Island, a line from a marker at the south end of Mott Island easterly to a marker on the northwest bank on Lois Island, and a line from a marker on the southwest end of Lois Island due westerly to a marker on the opposite bank.
South Channel is open to fishing in all waters bounded by a line from a marker on John Day Point through the green buoy "7" thence to a marker on the southwest end of Lois Island upstream to an upper boundary line from a marker on Settler Point northwesterly to flashing red marker "10".

All open waters are under concurrent jurisdiction.

SEASON: Each Thursday night April 18, 2002 through April 26, 2002, 7:00 PM to 5:00 AM
Tuesdays and Thursdays April 30, 2002 to June 12, 2002, 7:00 PM to 5:00 AM

GEAR: Legal gear restricted to 8-inch maximum mesh size and maximum length of 250 fathoms and weight on lead line not to exceed 2 pounds on any one fathom within Tongue Point Basin.
In the South Channel fishing area gear restricted to 8-inch maximum mesh size, net to maximum length of 100 fathoms, and no weight restriction on leadline.

ALLOWABLE SALE: Salmon, sturgeon, and shad.
OTHER: Permanent rules regarding transport of commercially caught fish remain in effect.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE FOLLOWING COLUMBIA RIVER SEASONS WERE SET:

NON-INDIAN SELECT AREAS FISHERY:

Blind Slough/Knappa Slough

AREA: Open waters of Blind Slough extend from markers at the mouth of Gnat Creek located approximately ½ mile upstream of the county road bridge downstream to markers at the mouth of Blind Slough. Concurrent waters extend downstream of the railroad bridge. State waters extend upstream of the railroad bridge and require an Oregon license.
Knappa Slough is open to fishing in all waters bounded by a line from the northerly most marker at the mouth of Blind Slough westerly to a marker on Karlson Island downstream to a north-south line defined by a marker on the eastern end of Minaker Island to markers on Karlson Island and the Oregon shore.

SEASON: Winter Season
Monday nights from February 18, 2002 through March 5 (3 nights)
7:00 PM to 7:00 AM (12 hours)
Spring Season
Thursday nights during April 18, 2002 through April 26 and Tuesday and Thursday nights during April 30 through June 12. (15 nights).
7:00 PM to 7:00 AM (12 hours)

GEAR: 8-inch minimum mesh size restriction during the Winter Season. Nets restricted to 100 fathoms in length with no weight restriction on leadline.
8-inch maximum mesh size restriction during the Spring Season. Nets restricted to 100 fathoms in length with no weight restriction on leadline.

ALLOWABLE SALE: Salmon, sturgeon, and shad.
OTHER: Permanent rules regarding transport of commercially caught fish remain in effect.
NOTE: Only Blind Slough Area open during winter season and Blind Slough/Knappa Slough are open during spring season.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE FOLLOWING COLUMBIA RIVER SEASONS WERE REVISED:

WASHINGTON TRIBUTARY COMMERCIAL SMELT FISHERY:

DATE: Beginning February 1, 2002 through March 31, 2002
(Three 12-hour weekly fishing periods from 2-1-2002 through 3-31-2002)
6:00 PM Sunday through 6:00 AM Monday
6:00 PM Tuesday through 6:00 AM Wednesday
6:00 PM Wednesday through 6:00 AM Thursday

GEAR: Dip nets as per permanent regulations.
AREA: The Cowlitz River downstream from the monument located at Peterson's (Miller's) Eddy.
All other Washington tributaries closed.


MAINSTEM COLUMBIA RIVER COMMERCIAL SMELT FISHERY:

DATES: Sundays, Wednesdays, Fridays
3:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Beginning February 1, 2002 through March 31, 2002
(Three eighteen-hour fishing periods during 2-1-2002 through 3-31-2002)

GEAR: Gill net, dip nets, or trawls as per permanent regulations

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE FOLLOWING COLUMBIA RIVER SEASONS WERE SET:

TREATY INDIAN WINTER SEASON

AREA: All of Zone 6
DATES: 12:00 PM (Noon), February 1, 2002 through 4:00 PM, March 21, 2002
GEAR: No mesh size restriction on gill nets. Hoop nets, dipbag nets and rod & reel with hook and line.
ALLOWABLE SALE: Salmon, steelhead, walleye, carp, shad, and sturgeon between 4 feet and 5 feet in length.
OTHER: Fish caught in platforms/hook & line fisheries may be sold during open commercial season.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE FOLLOWING COLUMBIA RIVER SEASONS WERE SET:

COMMERCIAL SALMON TANGLE NET DEMONSTRATION FISHERY

DATES: 5:00 AM - 7:00 PM Monday, February 25 (14 hours)
5:00 AM - 7:00 PM Wednesday, February 27 (14 hours)
5:00 AM - 7:00 PM Friday, March 1 (14 hours)
5:00 AM - 7:00 PM Monday, March 4 (14 hours)
5:00 AM - 7:00 PM Wednesday, March 6 (14 hours)
5:00 AM - 7:00 PM Friday, March 8 (14 hours)
AREA: Zones 1-5
SANCTUARIES: Gray River, Gnat Creek, Elokomin-A, Abernathy Creek, Cowlitz River, Kalama-A, Lewis-A, Washougal River, and Sandy River sanctuaries
GEAR: Net length not to exceed 150 fathoms. 5 ½ " maximum mesh size restriction.
ALLOWABLE SALE: Adipose fin-clipped chinook salmon and sturgeon
MISCELANEOUS REGULATIONS: Soak times, defined as time elapsed from when first mesh enters the water to when last mesh leaves the water, must not exceed 45 minutes.
Use of recovery boxes will be required on all lethargic or bleeding fish

Each participant will be required to have 2 operable recovery boxes or one box with two chambers in place to participate in fishery. Operable recovery boxes will require a flow of 16 - 20 gallons per minute to the box or each chamber.

Each participant must have attended a state-sponsored workshop concerning live captive commercial fishing techniques and possess a permit that allows participation in this fishery.


Quick Reporting Rule for Washington Buyers
WDFW has adopted rules that require commercial purchasers to report their landings by a specified time. This rule can be attached to any commercial season that is adopted, but is not in place unless specified. WDFW staff recommends that the "quick reporting required" clause be in place for the spring chinook tangle net fishery for 2002. Washington buyers would be required to send a report of their landings to WDFW by 10 AM on the day after the purchase date by either:
a) FAX transmission to (360) 906-6776 or (360) 906-6777
b) E-mail to crfishtickets@dfw.wa.gov
c) Telephone to 1-866-791-1281

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE FOLLOWING COLUMBIA RIVER SEASONS WERE REVISED:

MAINSTEM COLUMBIA RIVER SPORT FISHERY EXPANDED

DATES: April 1, 2002 - May 15, 2002 below I-5 Bridge
March 16, 2002 - May 15, 2002 from I-5 Bridge upstream to Bonneville Dam, The Dalles Pool and John Day Pool

AREA: Columbia River mouth at Buoy 10 to Bonneville Dam, The Dalles Pool and John Day Pool
ALLOWABLE CATCH: 6 salmon per day of which 2 may be adults and all be adipose fin-clipped, 2 hatchery steelhead, and shad.
MISCELLANEOUS REGULATIONS: The fishery will be closed prior to May 15 if the allocation is met before that date.
NOTE: The Columbia River below I-5 Bridge is currently open through March 31, 2002.
That fishery will be extended through May 15, 2002.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MISCELLANEOUS RULES

Non-Indian Spring Chinook Allocation

The Compact adopted the guiding principles, Fisheries Management Objectives, and allocation matrix that were endorsed by both Washington and Oregon Fish & Wildlife commissions in December.

Monofilament Gear

The use of monofilament gillnets is allowed in mainstem Columbia River and Select Area fisheries effective February 18, 2002. This is a permanent rule change.

Sturgeon Guidelines in John Day Pool

The Compact adopted new sturgeon management guidelines for John Day Pool. The sport guideline is 165 sturgeon and the tribal guideline 335 sturgeon.