I have yet to see the Senate or House bill to increase WDFW fishing license fees and General Fund appropriations. I don't want to miss the opportunity to oppose funding for WDFW. The Department and the Commission have decided they can just stick it to the tax paying, license buying constituents and not deliver services, i.e., recreational fishing and then add insult to injury by taking our money and spending to subsidize commercial fishing. I'm buying BC and MT fishing licenses this year.

NEWS RELEASE
Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/

March 4, 2019
Contact: Tami Lininger, 360-902-2267

Commission approves modifications to its Columbia River salmon fishery policy

SPOKANE – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has agreed to allow the use of gillnets during the fall salmon fishery on the lower Columbia River while state fishery managers work with their Oregon counterparts to develop a joint long-term policy for shared waters.

The commission, a citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), took that action and received public comments on proposed hunting seasons for 2019-21 during a public meeting March 1-2 in Spokane.

The commission's action to extend the use of gillnets was one of a number of recommendations for Columbia River fisheries developed by a joint committee with members of the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. Oregon's full commission will also consider the recommendations when it meets later this month.

Commissioners from both states are working on an overhaul of their respective Columbia River salmon management policies, which are designed to achieve conservation goals for salmon and steelhead, promote orderly fisheries in concurrent waters, and maintain and enhance economic stability in sport and commercial fisheries.

The change in policy affects allowable commercial fishing gear and the allocation of catch between sport and commercial fisheries, among other adjustments. Conservation measures remain unchanged, and no additional fishing pressure was approved beyond the annual amount allowed in full compliance with all salmon and steelhead Endangered Species Act requirements and sustainable fishery management practices.

The Washington policy, approved in 2013, intended for the commercial fishery to have completed a transition from gillnets to alternative gear this year and be relocated away from mainstem Columbia River areas. However, the use of alternative gear has not yet been refined and the off-channel areas have been determined to be unsuitable.

The commission modified that policy in response to a comprehensive performance review conducted over the past year. Without that action, fishing rules for Washington and Oregon would have been incompatible, because Oregon plans to allow the use of gillnets during the upcoming fall season.

The recommendation approved by the commission at the meeting in Spokane will allow commercial fisheries to proceed similar to 2018. A maximum of 70 percent of the fall chinook catch will be allocated to the recreational fishery, the same amount allocated under Oregon's policy.

Washington commissioners also agreed to retain the recreational fishery's share of 80 percent during the spring chinook fishery. The allocation for the commercial fishery was set at 20 percent with no commercial fishing in the mainstem Columbia River unless the in-season run-size update for upper river spring chinook is more than 129 percent of the pre-season forecast of 99,300 fish.

Additionally, the commission made the use of barbless hooks voluntary in Columbia River fisheries as soon as possible, but no later than June 1, 2019.

Five Washington commissioners voted to approve the recommendation: commissioners Kim Thorburn, Barbara Baker, Robert Kehoe, Donald McIsaac and Jay Holzmiller. Commissioner David Graybill voted "no," and commissioners Bradley Smith and Larry Carpenter abstained.

Details of the motion that passed and more information on the Columbia River Policy Review can be found at https://wdfw.wa.gov/commission/.

Prior to that decision, the commission was briefed by WDFW wildlife managers and accepted public comments on proposed hunting rules for deer, elk, waterfowl, and other game species. The commission is scheduled to take final action on those proposal at a public meeting April 5-6 in Olympia.

For more information on the season-setting process see https://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations/seasonsetting/

The commercials need to get the gillnets back on the mainstem for the impending coho mop up in the lower river.... and pulling all the stops to get it done.

What a joke

I just watched the video of the CR hearing and LIMITED public comment. The current brain trust occupying the seats on that commission as well as those occupying the upper echelon of salmon management at WDFW are an embarrassment to salmon conservation.

HUGE step backward.

Policy isn't failing, you dimwits! The guys charged with its implentation are failing. If staff had just done what the policy directed them to do, we'd be so much better off today, esp in the arena of alternative gear. No one had the balls to just make the alternative gear happen, or incentivize/coerce the commercials to switch over. Just more excuses about how it can't/won't work! Just enabling folks to NOT change!

And now those same sorry excuses are being used as the catalyst to abandon ship. J F C.... talk about ridiculous!

Time to lobby the Legislature to not fund WDFW. The only way to get their attention is $$, and if the Department has no General Fund dollars, they might decide to stop biting the hand that feeds them.

Interesting to watch things like this play out. That said after capturing Chinook by hook, tangle net, traps I can tell you there is only one method ( other than a barrier system ) that can be truly selective. Fish wheels pure and simple everything will fail dismally.

I know that some of you feel I'm a zealot, too radical and outspoken. I agree that my passion and, well, anger, causes me to use words that are harsh. I don't apologize for my passion, I do if my words have offended.

However, until the recreational community (ALL OF US) start pushing together as a unified front, the merry-go-round of willful mis-management will continue.

We cannot rely on PSA, or CCA or WFA or any other politicized group to be our proxy. We are the largest, and potentially the most influential group if we can only stop the in-fighting and polarization into splinter groups.

United, we can make real change. Divided, we continue to get ignored.

The legislature IS the problem, whores on both sides of the aisle sell us out as much or more then the Commission and the Governor. Until campaign reform and tribal and commercial lobbies no longer prostitute out our political process NOTHING will change. Bob R

Only way to get the tribal money out is to legalize gaming statewide and kneecap their slush fund

Once again, you have an uphill fight with legislators as they will never get the money from non-tribal casinos that they get from tribal interests. Bob R

I know what I can do. That's not buy a license this year and help fund wdfw. This is bullchit year in year out we continue to purchase these licenses in hopes of having some fish to chase. Opportunities are running thin and we are loosing more fisheries every year. Wdfw simply are not doing there jobs and wasting money on stupid [Bleeeeep!]. I'll take my license money elsewhere. If I'm craving some salmon or steel I'll pay a tribal guide and get my eats from them. I feel this is a "pissing up a rope" situation with fish and wildlife anymore. fishing licences are not going to be raised this year because fish and wildlife knows that they can't raise license fees for less fish and opportunities in return. They better figure out a plan quick before they can't sell licenses anymore. I could see this catching on pretty quick. This seems like the only option at this point bay wolf.

If you think that wdfw cares if you buy a license or not you are woefully mistaken. Getting enough people to get on board with this is a lost cause. Of course it will mean that a few won't be on the water, but that just makes more room for the rest of us. Work for election reforms or not, but changing the current situation by not fishing locally is a losing strategy, and what makes you think going to Alaska or British Columbia is an answer? Because their salmon and steelhead situation ain't much better. A guide there may or may not put you on fish, but that doesn't tell you much about how they are dealing with fewer fish as a general rule. I try to do what I can, I attend the adviser's meeting for the areas I fish and provide input, learn lots I didn't know, meet other fisherfolk in my area, and attend the "dog and pony shows" that wdfw and the commission put on. These are more frustrating, but given the option of not saying anything other then on social media at least i have given it a chance to work. Bob R

Bob you sound like you got your head as far up your @ss as WDFW.

Well, I just added another line or two to my post, if you still feel that way after re-reading my post I guess insulting people on line is all you got. Another big intelligent man behind a keyboard. Like I said before, I go to meetings and state who I am. If you have a problem with me expressing my opinion (without telling you that you have your head up your ass) well then come to a meeting. Then you can tell me that to my face if you have the guts. Bob R

I would recommend anyone with an open mind to read the thread titled, "Good News,CCA Loses Again" that is on the Washington discussion section of Bloody Decks, another fishing forum. It certainly gave me a new outlook on banning non-tribal nets but not being able to do anything about tribal nets. Interesting to read. Bob R

That's your own opinion and I respect that. I've lived in Washington my whole life and I see this state going into the $hitter more and more everyday. The outdoors are my life asides from work, and seeing how this state manages our recourses, fisheries and sweeping chit under the rug is a joke anymore.
We buy these licenses for fishing opportunities right? Seems like we are losing more every year. Why help fund something and not have any help in return?
I got no problem telling you to your face.
I'm the wrong one to call out.

Yeah, telling me I have my head up my ass is certainly "respecting my opinion". You are exactly the one to call out. Bob R

I often ponder the question of why sport fishermen are so inclined to be antagonist towards each other. I really is quite detrimental to gaining any political advantage.