Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Contact: Anne Pressentin Young (503) 872-5264 x5356
Internet:
www.dfw.state.or.us Fax: (503) 872-5700
For Immediate Release Monday, August 4, 2003
Oregon State Police targets ocean salmon fishery violations
High non-compliance rate reported coast-wide
PORTLAND - Have fun, be safe and - please - put the wild ones and the young ones back.
That's the message from enforcement officers to coastal salmon anglers heading out to fish one of the best seasons in years. Anglers coast-wide have been averaging more than one salmon per angler per trip since the end of June.
However, Oregon State Police fish and wildlife enforcement officers report a high rate of fishing violations this year coast-wide. In one week, officers seized 19 salmon in Newport that were landed in violation of state angling laws. One chinook was shorter than the minimum length and 18 coho had intact adipose fins, indicating they were likely wild and not legal to keep. The adipose fin is a small, fleshy fin located between the tail and the dorsal fin. In hatchery-bred fish, the adipose fin is clipped off before the fish are released into streams as juveniles.
Of the boats checked at coastal port in July, 30 - 80 percent violated one of the state's ocean angling rules, said Dave Cleary, a lieutenant with Oregon State Police.
Federal and state fishery managers adopted rules earlier this year to provide angling opportunities on healthy runs while protecting wild fish listed as threatened under the state and federal endangered species acts.
"We don't want to put the fishery managers in a position of being more conservative with fishing seasons in the future due to low compliance rates," Cleary said.
Violations of the Oregon sport fishing rules are Class A misdemeanors and can result in fines up to $5,000 and a year in jail. OSP officers will be increasing boat patrols this week with the goal of reducing noncompliance.
Anglers are reminded of the ocean salmon fishing rules:
· Leadbetter Point, Wash., south to Cape Falcon, Oregon: Open seven days a week through Sept. 30 or until the 112,500 coho quota is reached. The daily bag limit is two salmon per day, but only one may be a chinook. All retained coho must have a healed adipose fin clip. The minimum length is 16 inches for coho, 26 inches for chinook and 20 inches for steelhead. The season closed between Cape Falcon and Tillamook Head Aug. 1.
· Cape Falcon south to Humbug Mountain in Oregon: Open seven days a week through Aug. 24 or until the 88,000 coho quota is reached. The daily bag limit is two salmon per day. All retained coho must have a healed adipose fin clip. The minimum length is 16 inches for coho and 20 inches for chinook and steelhead. The chinook general season will remain open through Oct. 31.
· Humbug Mountain, Oregon south to Horse Mountain, Calif.: Open seven days a week through Sept. 14. The daily bag limit is two salmon per day. No coho may retained in this area. The minimum length for chinook and steelhead is 20 inches.
In addition, many anglers will fish the popular "Buoy 10" area in the Columbia River estuary from Buoy 10 upstream to a line projected from Rocky Point on the Washington bank through red buoy 44 to the navigation light at Tongue Point on the Oregon bank. The season opened Aug. 1 for adipose fin-clipped coho, adipose fin-clipped steelhead, and fall chinook. The daily bag limit is two salmon, only one of which may be a chinook. Starting Saturday, Aug. 16, the bag limit increases to three salmon, only one of which may be a chinook. For the Buoy 10 fishery through Sept. 30, the minimum size limit is 16 inches for coho, 20 inches for steelhead, and 24 inches for chinook. Jack salmon may be retained beginning Oct. 1.
Anglers fishing in the ocean off the Columbia River mouth and in the Columbia River are limited to one daily catch limit of adult salmon. In both the Pacific Ocean and Buoy 10 areas, each angler aboard a vessel may continue to use angling gear until the daily limit of fish for all legally licensed and juvenile anglers aboard has been achieved. However, no individual angler may exceed any personal daily bag limit.
More information about ocean salmon angling rules and catch rates may be accessed by clicking on
http://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/odfw/salmon/index.html .
###