You can leave your home anytime you want and go fishing, in Oregon, as of now. So no, I donāt think it contributes to anybodyās argument because they donāt need one. Leaving your house right now is not illegal. You want to go for a drive, do it, totally legal. Feel like moving homes? Leaving the state? Going for a hike? Legal. Period. Fishing included. Social distancing habits apply to all though, not just fishing.
Unless you are under a state mandated quarantine because you have tested positive, then yes, by law you can be restricted somewhere.
Your statement is actually somewhat accurate, it is a State request, not a directive, to stay home, thus no requirement to do so. There is little to no danger in spreading the virus when going fishing if standard āsocial distancingā and hygiene principles are applied, thus there would be no reason to suddenly close fishing down, even if there are 1000 people fishing the Willamette. The reason the order was enacted wasnāt because droves of people went to the beach, it was because those droves of people were not able to practice good social distancing habits. If fisherman can show they are making appropriate decisions (fishing solo, not sitting next to others on the bank, not having what would appear to be a boatload of likely non-household members) then fishing SHOULD remain open. If not, then yes, it can and/or should be closed. But until then, it is not illegal and many could even make the argument it is actually healthy to go fishing.
But hey, if you want to think you must remain in your house at all times, please do so, nothing prevents you from doing so. It leaves more room on the water for us that want to fish.
A final question, if fisherman werenāt allowed to leave their home freely and go fishing whenever they want because of the order, can you explain why both ODFW and OSP acknowledge you can and it is legal to do so?