ODFW News: Columbia Spring Chinook Allocation

[Pete]

For Immediate Release Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2003

Commission hears options for 2004 Columbia River spring chinook seasons

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission Friday heard the range of options available for setting the 2004 Columbia River spring chinook sport and commercial seasons. Substantial spring chinook fishing opportunity is available this spring.

After some discussion, Commissioners determined they need more time to analyze data presented, but said they favored options that provide more than 50 percent of the allowable impacts to wild spring chinook populations to the sport fishery.

Columbia River spring chinook seasons are set to protect wild chinook listed under the federal Endangered Species Act while allowing harvest on adipose fin-clipped hatchery chinook. Federal law limits the allowable impact to wild populations from unintended mortalities associated with the non-Indian fisheries to 2.0 percent of the total wild run.

Options the Commission considered include:
· 50-50 sharing of impacts between sport and commercial;
· 40 percent sport and 60 percent commercial impact sharing;
· 60 percent sport and 40 percent commercial impact sharing;
· 70 percent sport and 30 percent commercial impact sharing; and
· Use of a decision matrix used in the 2002 and 2003 fisheries which would likely result in a 65 percent sport and 35 percent commercial sharing of impacts.

Further discussion on the spring chinook season will occur in January by both the Oregon and Washington fish and wildlife commissions. A final decision will be made Feb. 5, 2004, at the Columbia River Compact hearing in Oregon City.

[Freakwater]

Pete,

Thanks for all the info and your efforts!

Freak

[CATCH AND EAT]

ttt

[slabhunter]

Thanks Pete.