I was also at the meeting......lots of good comments. Approach is the same as its been "forever". Started with 2C, then went to Humptulips, mentioned the Coho run that hasn't made escapement in 20+ years but NO SOLUTION as to how to deal with that problem, just how to get as much fishing time as possible.

Chehalis side, 2A and 2C, limited Coho.......not really sure many people know "what upper Chehalis is". Time to deal with the Chehalis above Porter/Centralia/Adna/Doty, so they can share in a fishery and do the #1 goal of the Commission, CONSERVATION 1st.

Creative methods will be called for......different approach....do I have an answer???? No, but I see the a problem.

Perhaps it was a over sight but didn't see many of the jet boat guides at the meeting last night.

NOF will be interesting in 2016......Coho in the crapper, again!!!!!

I think we need a massive change in how we look at and manage our fisheries.

Conservation is #1. Not above goal, no fishing.

Fishing priority is given to the watershed that produced the fish. The landowners are the ones who pay to protect the habitat. If they have enough fish, or if there are more fish than they can catch, the fisheries move out.

Now, if somebody further outside wants to fish they can negotiate with the terminal area. Perhaps pay for the hatchery production. Perhaps pay for the additional electricity that allows a dam or dams to be removed.

Conservation parameters and constraints are specified in the GHMP.

In case anyone forgot, this is now NOF time, the process by which fish beyond those conservation parameters WILL die. Recs are going to stump for the maximum season possible within those constraints.

Unlike last year, we're going into this knowing full and well that coho are in bad shape. I sense a willingness from all sides to move sufficient fish inland for the upriver guys to have a better shot than last year, but ALL must acknowledge the reality that overall opportunity will likely be reduced in some fashion for everyone.

While we have been occupied so to speak the Advocay guys have stayed right with the Willapa issues.


JUDGE REJECTS GILLNETTERS ATTEMPT TO BLOCK INTERVENTION BY THE ADVOCACY AND CCA

On March 4, 2016, Judge Anne Hirsch heard the motion from the Twin Harbors Fish & Wildlife Advocacy and the CCA to jointly intervene in the legal challenge to the 2015 commercial season in Willapa Bay filed by the Willapa Bay Gillnetters Association. In its response to the joint motion, the WBGA asked the court to reject the intervention claiming we would slow down the process and prejudice their case. If the court did allow the intervention, the WBGA then asked that the two be required to use a single attorney and help the WBGA pay the costs of producing the extensive record of the public proceedings that resulted in the passage of the WB Salmon Policy in 2014 by the DFW Commission and the subsequent gillnet season that followed in 2015.

Advocacy counsel Joe Frawley drafted the reply for the two groups and argued before the court. He pointed out to the court that his clients had already conducted an extensive review of the record and were waiting on the gillnetters attorney to do the same so any delay would be on their side not ours. Then, he pointed out the inappropriateness of one side trying to chose or limit the counsel representing another. He then qouted the Administrative Procedures Act being litigated to show the statute did not allow for one side to require the other to pay their costs of producing the record as a condition of participation.

State Assistant Attorney General Michael Grossman appeared on behalf of the Department of Fish & Wildlife. He confirmed the state's position was the Department was not opposing the motion to intervene.

Judge Hirsch listened and then ruled from the bench. The WBGA's opposition to the joint intervention was rejected and the motion to jointly intervene was granted. The attempts by the WBGA to limit the counsel to only one representing the two groups and to transfer costs of producing the record from the WBGA onto the intervenors were likewise rejected. From our prospective, it was pretty much a "clean sweep”.

The next step will be reaching agreement on how to reduce the size of the record down to a volume that the court can absorb. Currently, it takes a person familiar with all the proceedings about 48 hours to review the electronic files. Then, approximately 30 hours of audio tapes of public meetings will have to be reviewed to determine which one's need to be converted into written text by a court reporter. While this significant task is being completed, a schedule for the hearing before the Thurston County Court will be set.

Mr. Hamilton ... I have yet to post in this thread but I can not stand it any longer !

Thank you Sir, so very much for what you are doing.

Bunch of stuff to get to you so first the new Willapa models are out so if you want them just let me know. Beware you cannot print them out on a standard printer and they give a MAC fits.

Below is a announcement from Region 6 as to upcoming Commission actions as to Grays Harbor.


From Steve Thiesfeld:

At the February 27th Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting, Department staff did not recommend any changes to the Grays Harbor Salmon Management Policy. However, Commissioners asked the Department if there were any adaptive management measures that could be implemented this year to assist in setting the seasons. Department staff committed to reviewing some options and potentially bringing those options back to the Commission for further discussion. With North of Falcon upon us, some resolution is needed in short order.

Department staff will work with the Fish Committee on some initial ideas. If we feel there are some viable options for consideration, we would bring them forward for a discussion with the entire Commission. We are tentatively looking at the afternoon of March 22nd for a special Commission conference call to discuss this issue. We feel it is important for the public to have an opportunity to provide some feedback regarding any options that are discussed. Therefore we are planning on having listening stations in both Montesano and Olympia for you to listen to the discussion and then provide any testimony. We will do our best to get any options developed out to you in a timely manner, although there may only be a few days between Fish Committee and the special Commission call.

I'll try to keep everyone informed when a final date and time are selected.


Next how did the Willapa Adviser meeting go? Well OK I think. Steve was sick but Chad and Barbara did the run out and Ron Warren sat in to support them. With the change in the makeup of the Advisers staff was very careful to walk all through each issue from the model to the preseason harvest. They offered up opportunities to input seasons, explained things well, even justifying why such a huge preseason Coho forecast. The answer by the way was it mathed out and last year Willapa performed much better than other watersheds around the state and looked to do the same again. So from my perspective if I was to look at it from the point of view as a staffer it would be a solid B+ for staff with a A for the Advisers themselves.

From my view A for advisers but a C for staff. Why? Two items jump at me from my notes. First when a Adviser asked if Willapa Policy was on the Commission agenda coming up shortly as Grays Harbor. The answer was not direct as it was not no but about stream designation. Now this is a big deal. Change Naselle to stabilizing ( low straying & escapement requirements allowing more commercial harvest ) which many are trying to do and you totally alter the south Bay fisheries. So by not fully vetting the issue and why this was being done was not a good thing.

The second was when pressured on why the proposal to open certain reaches on the Naselle and Nemah closed to inriver Rec ( one Adviser has been pressuring them for several years ) that have huge numbers of hatchery fish. Staff fell back to the standard will look at it thing, property owners not likely to care for it, just the usual thing. Standard answer but does little to fully vet or respond to the question and is how staff dodges things such as this.

In the public session I spoke to that. I urged the Advisers and public when making season or fishery proposals to not just ask but to require staff to respond in writing with reason and rational for their response if negative or positive. This is important as to develop a Rec or commercial idea one must propose something and if rejected use the rejection ( that is why a documented response is needed ) to look at ones proposal adjust / modify / just work it toward a acceptable proposal. It is necessary as it is difficult to do anything in two Adviser meetings. ( that is all they will have ) This is a real issue and that is why issues and proposals just set year after year as the agency is a master at rope a dope and utilizes it to avoid addressing and formally responding to proposals. Get it in writing the only way to deal with staff responses.

And another view.

Chehalis system could 96 percent fewer wild silver salmon in 2016
By Jordan Nailon
The Chronicle

The forecast for 2016 salmon returns are in, and the outlook is not promising for coho. Low returns are predicted almost across the board, and that could mean the cancellation or extreme abbreviation of popular fisheries on a number of local waterways, including Grays Harbor, Chehalis River, Columbia River, Willapa Harbor and Puget Sound.

The forecasts, which were formulated by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and treaty tribes, project especially dire silver returns for the Chehalis River system. The anticipated return of wild coho on the Chehalis in 2016 is listed at just 4,951 fish, down sharply from the 142,554 wild returners in 2015. The hatchery return is also expected to be down by about half this year, with only 22,890 clipped fin coho anticipated.

According to John Long, salmon fisheries policy lead for WDFW, the dual hardship of poor hatchery and wild coho returns could combine to put the screws to the popular silver salmon fisheries in the region.
“Unfavorable ocean conditions led to fewer coho salmon returning last year than we anticipated,” said Long, in a press release. “We expect to see another down year for coho in 2016 and will likely have to restrict fishing for salmon in a variety of locations to protect wild coho stocks.”
Elsewhere, the coho return to the Columbia River is projected to be only about half of last year’s forecasted return of 380,000 fish. Salmon forecasting can be a slippery task though, and only 242,000 coho actually wound up returning to the Columbia last year. Some stocks of Columbia River coho receive protections under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Again, in Puget Sound, the forecast of about 256,000 returning coho in 2016 is only about one-third of the forecast from 2015. The chinook run is also expected to be down from 2015, with only about 165,000 fish expected to make their comeback.

Guides Concerned
Bill “Swanny” Swann is a veteran angling guide familiar with many of the well-fed drainages of Southwest Washington. Swann is especially cozy with the confines of the Chehalis River system, but the dismal forecast released this month by the WDFW has him feeling altogether uneasy. “The poor returns means little or no fishing, and for the professional guides who bring in clients to the communities and spend money on licenses, food, gas, lodging, et cetera, it is going to affect everyone,” explained Swann as he looked into his bait-scented crystal ball in order to predict shortened or cancelled coho seasons on the Chehalis and other local waterways.

From Swann’s perspective, the disappearing coho are no mystery, although he doesn’t believe the WDFW have been completely forthcoming either. “Ocean conditions are a coverup of the real problem between commercial nets and commercial sport boats,” said Swann “Last year alone there were 80,000 coho taken in the ocean before they ever got to the rivers they were headed to.”
According to Swann, the blame can be passed around like a Thermos on a fishing boat, but a lack of oversight on commercial netting is the primary culprit.

“The lack of WDFW managing the treaty side is appalling,” said Swann. “They do not manage them. They only co-manage, (and) co-management means no management, which means mismanagement,”
Swann’s assertion references the 50/50 split co-management system between treaty tribes and the WDFW. With no majority stake in the decision-making process, each group is free to offer suggestions to the other and negotiate in good faith, but ultimately the regulations are not subject to any sort of binding agreement. Swann added, “But we can not blame the tribes, we have to blame WDFW for letting them do it.”

Talking specifics and pointing the focus back at sport fisheries, as well as a finger at the WDFW, Swann noted, “Several years ago WDFW made the limit for coho in the Chehalis three wild or hatchery (fish),” explained Swann, who prefers a lower limit “We the sportsman protested and they did it anyway! … This happened two years in a row and now look what we have.”

Still, if you ask Swann, proprietor of Swanny’s Guided Fishing, all hope is not yet lost. “Habitat is the key to success for strong returns of all fish,” noted Swann. “The Chehalis system has some of the strongest habitat in the world for baby fry to live and feed with major protection before heading to sea.” In order to rebound returning salmon stocks on the Chehalis River, Swann suggests that the WDFW, “go back to the 1-1 system,” when anglers were permitted just one hatchery and one wild fish per day.
“This system worked well for years,” said Swann, who pointed out that “there are more wild coho in the Chehalis than hatchery.”
In any case, without some meaningful change, Swann sees a cut and dried ending for coho stocks, postulating that, “If we are taking more fish from the system than what is coming back, that is not a sustainable fishery.”

Public Input
Fish officials are asking for public input as they work to write up the sport salmon fishing seasons for this year. A series of public meetings have been scheduled through early April in order to accumulate citizen input in light of the recent return forecasts before any final decisions are made. “We’re going to have to be creative in order to provide fisheries in some areas this year,” Long said in the press release. “We would appreciate input from the public to help us establish priorities.”
Information about the public meetings, specifics on salmon forecasts, and an online commenting tool can be found on the WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/northfalcon/. The Pacific Fishery Management Council is expected to make a final decision on ocean fisheries and harvest levels during its April 8-14 meetings in Vancouver. WDFW and tribal co-managers will likely set freshwater and harbor seasons at that time as well.

Numerous attempts to contact the WDFW for comment on this story were unsuccessful.

Swanny, another "pro" when it comes to salmon management. Knows a lot about the laws applicable to salmon management too. NOT.

Yeah, that's one guy I don't see at any meetings concerning conservation or how to help guide the state in policies, it seems all he cares about is lost revenue, certainly NOT conservation of resources. And I don't think he ever got back on the Paultzes pro staff. Sure embarrassed the hell out of them! Bob R

Minutes from the NOF Grays Harbor Adviser meeting. Mike did them and frankly much better than I do.


2016 Grays Harbor North of Falcon Advisory Group Meeting March 9, 2016 6- 8 p.m.
Region 6 Office, Montesano, WA
Staff: Mike Scharpf, Barbara McClellan, Chad Herring

Spring Chinook fishery
• Season May 1 through July 31
• Season April 16 through July 31

Skookumchuck spring chinook harassment when opening Oct 1 instead of Oct 15
• Very little coho available that early in the season for fishers
• Present something for the reason behind the issue

Wishkah River
• Low release due to fish die
• Consider closing

Commercial sector’s opinion of the model shown is that the days in Humptulips 2C is a waste of time in the first week of November.

Commercial Fishery
1. Option 1: Fish 3rd week of October in 2C (24 hour days), Release UM Coho
• Week 43 - 2 days
• Week 44 - 1 day
• Week 45 - 1 day
• Output
o 5.4% UM CHK impacts
o 4.9% Coho impacts

2. Option 2: 12 hour days
• Week 43 – 2 days
• Week 44 – 2 days
• Output
o 5.4 % CHK impacts
o 4.87% coho impacts

There should be consideration to re-opening the outer part of the Marine Area 2.2 for the recreational fishery if / when the natural coho runsize becomes larger than the escapement.

Wishkah
• Possibly close earlier than normal, Nov 30 instead of Jan. 31

If there is harvestable available then model:
• 1 unmarked coho retention or
• 1 fish bag limit and done fishing (hatchery chinook, hatchery coho, unmarked coho, chum) in Marine Area 2.2 and freshwater (where hatchery fish are available)
• Would keep people from sorting through unmarked fish to get to their hatchery fish.

Wynoochee
• One fish per day since no hatchery fish planted

Retain the first fish landed no matter which species or mark status and stop fishing Close South Channel in Marine Area
Take all surplused carcasses not used by RFEG and use as nutrient enhancement
If we have an emergency closure in freshwater do not reopen especially in upper sections Public Comment:
If tribes give up fishing for coho then WDFW should too

Request the presentation that DFW will give or gave to the Fish Committee to look at before the conference call on March 22

Shorter recreational season Oct – Nov with 2 fish limit then Dec for steelhead

A friend sent this to me so I thought I would put it up for those following the flood thing in the Basin.


Bill Creates Chehalis Basin Office
PROVIDING OVERSIGHT: Governor and Flood Authority to Choose Board Members, Two Tribes to Be Represented

By Kaylee Osowski / kosowski@chronline.com |0 comments
The Legislature has approved a bill to create an office focused on reducing flood risks and restoring aquatic species in the Chehalis River Basin. Rep. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis, proposed the bill, and the House agreed to Senate amendments on Tuesday. It was delivered to the governor on Thursday. DeBolt told The Chronicle that while the bill creating the Office of the Chehalis Basin may not seem like a big deal, it is to him.

The office will be under the state Department of Ecology, which Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority member Ron Averill thinks is a good thing. “I do think it’s good to tie the projects to an agency within government to give it some structure,” Averill said. J. Vander Stoep, a member of the Work Group, said it’s not clear how the bill will affect the group, but he thinks that over time the role of the group will be folded into the board.

He thinks that putting a state office in charge is a positive step and creates a responsibility to get work done with flood damage reduction and restoring species.
The bill also creates a treasury account, and the office will be modeled after the Office of Columbia River created in 2006. Lewis County Commissioner and Flood Authority member Edna Fund said she is excited about the bill, especially after talking to those involved with the Columbia River office. She said the language in the bill is very specific, stating that the purpose of the office is to “aggressively pursue” a strategy to reduce flood damage and restore species.

Senate amendments adopted last week include that the office must be funded from appropriations for basin-related flood hazard reduction and habitat recovery activities. The Senate also amended the bill to create the Chehalis Board to be made up of seven voting members. Four must be appointed by the governor and must include one member of the Chehalis Indian Tribe and one from the Quinault Indian Nation. The other three members must be chosen by the Flood Authority.
Averill said the original bill didn’t provide the Flood Authority much of a role, but the three appointments give the group more say and oversight.

Five state officials will serve as nonvoting members, including the director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the executive director of the Conservation Commissioner, the secretary of the Department of Transportation, the director of Ecology and the commissioner of Public Lands. The board will oversee the strategy that results from the programmatic environmental impact statement for the basin and will develop budget recommendations for the governor.

Currently, the Flood Authority works on smaller flood projects and the Work Group handles larger projects. Funding for projects currently goes through the capital budget and is administered by the state Recreation Conservation Office.

Commercials having to release UM coho is a joke. that is 100% mortality and a waste of fish, even if they don't violently shake them out of the net like they commonly do.

But ON PAPER the fish were released or were never caught at all because the fish ticket shows a zero for coho. In that way, the computer-based manager can sleep easy.

Here is the latest.

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/
March 14, 2016
WDFW contact: Kyle Adicks, (360) 902-2664
NWIFC contact: Tony Meyer, (360) 528-4325, cell (360) 951-9341
Fishery managers consider closing ocean salmon
seasons due to projected poor coho returns
OLYMPIA – Poor forecasts for returning coho salmon are prompting state and tribal fishery managers to consider closing all salmon fisheries in Washington’s ocean waters this year as part of a federal season-setting process for the west coast.
State, tribal and federal fishery managers have developed three options for non-treaty ocean salmon fisheries that reflect the anticipated low coho returns. Two options would permit some salmon fishing this year, but one would close recreational and commercial ocean fisheries for chinook and coho salmon.
Those alternatives were approved Sunday for public review by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC), which establishes fishing seasons in ocean waters three to 200 miles off the Pacific coast. A public hearing on the three alternatives for ocean salmon fisheries is scheduled for March 28 in Westport.
Jim Unsworth, director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), said he hopes fishery managers can provide some ocean salmon fishing opportunities this year, but must place a higher priority on protecting the diminished number of wild coho expected to return this year.
“Fishery managers face many difficult decisions in the weeks ahead as we move toward solidifying salmon-fishing seasons for the state,” Unsworth said. “We know that severely limiting opportunities will hurt many families and communities that depend on these fisheries. But conserving wild salmon is our top priority and is in the best interest of future generations of Washingtonians.”
Lorraine Loomis, chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, said tribal and state co-managers must have a full range of options – including no fishing at all – in working to shape possible fisheries over the next month.
“We hope it doesn’t come to that. Our cultures, treaty rights and economies depend on salmon. But the resource must come first,” she said. “We face an extraordinary conservation challenge this year. In many instances returns will likely be far below minimum levels needed to produce the next generation of salmon. Conservation must be our sole focus as we work to rebuild these stocks.”
Chinook and coho quotas approved by the PFMC will be part of a comprehensive 2016 salmon fishing package, which includes marine and freshwater fisheries throughout Puget Sound, the Columbia River and Washington's coastal areas. State and tribal co-managers are currently developing those fisheries, which will be finalized at the PFMC’s April meeting in Vancouver, Wash.
The non-treaty recreational fishing alternatives include the following quotas for fisheries off the Washington coast:
• Alternative 1: 58,600 chinook and 37,800 coho. This option includes early season fisheries, from June 18-30, for hatchery chinook in Washington’s ocean waters (marine areas 1-4). This option also allows hatchery coho retention in all four marine areas during the traditional summer fishery.
• Alternative 2: 30,000 chinook and 14,700 coho. This option does not include early season fisheries for hatchery chinook, but provides summer chinook fisheries in all four marine areas. Hatchery coho fishing would be allowed only in Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco).
• Alternative 3: No commercial or recreational salmon fisheries in Washington’s ocean waters.
For more details about the options, visit the PFMC webpage at http://www.pcouncil.org/. Last year, the PFMC adopted recreational ocean fishing quotas of 64,000 chinook and 150,800 coho salmon.
This year, forecasters expect 380,000 Columbia River hatchery coho to return to the Washington coast, which is about half of last year’s forecast. Only 242,000 coho actually returned last year to the Columbia River, where some coho stocks are listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Poor ocean conditions, such as the Pacific Ocean “blob” and warmer water temperatures, contributed to last year’s lower than expected return of coho.
Meanwhile, a robust return of Columbia River fall chinook salmon is expected back this year, including about 223,000 lower river hatchery fish, which traditionally have been the backbone of the recreational ocean chinook fishery.
In addition to the March 28 public hearing, several other meetings will take place later this month and in early April to discuss regional fisheries issues. The public can comment on the proposed ocean alternatives as well as on other proposed salmon fisheries through WDFW's North of Falcon webpage at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/northfalcon/
A schedule of public meetings, as well as salmon run-size forecasts and more information about the salmon-season setting process can also be found on the webpage.

I think this article in the Tribune was a relevant read for folks.


Ocean salmon fishing shutdown an option for 2016 season
Two other options would allow some fishing
Low coho return to Columbia River drives decisions
Final decision to be made by federal panel in April

Recreational and commercial salmon fishing off the coast of Washington could be shut down this summer because of a low number of returning coho salmon. The closure is one of three options being considered by the Pacific Fishery Management Council, which sets fishing seasons in ocean waters 3 to 200 miles off the Pacific coast. The two other options, released early Monday would permit some salmon fishing this year.

Fishery biologists expect 380,000 Columbia River hatchery coho to return to the Washington coast this year, only about half of last year’s forecast. There were 242,000 coho that returned last year to the Columbia River, where some coho stocks are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Biologists are citing a lack of forage fish and warmer water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean “blob” and from El Nino as key factors in last year’s lower than expected return of coho.

As for chinook, the forecast calls for a robust return of Columbia River fall chinook salmon this year. That includes about 223,000 lower river hatchery fish, which traditionally have been the backbone of the recreational ocean chinook fishery, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The last time the ocean salmon fishing season was closed was 1994. In 2008, fishing was severely curtailed.

“It’s not what we want to see, since all the coastal fishing communities are dependent on tourism and our commercial fishers going out and catching salmon. That’s our Microsoft and Boeing out here on the coast,” said Butch Smith, owner of CoHo Charters and Motel in Ilwaco. He also serves on a state advisory panel and was at the meeting in Sacramento where the ocean options were discussed.
Smith and Tony Floor, director of fishing affairs for the Northwest Marine Trade Association, believe there are enough salmon to craft some sort of fishing season for 2016.\
“From the recreational industry fishing perspective, we are in the circle of protecting the needs of wild coho,” Floor said. “Our hopes are in fishing for hatchery coho. There is no reason for us not to be pursuing hatchery coho.”
“There were far fewer coho and chinook in 1994, so I don’t think we are in a 1994 situation,” Smith said. “But we haven’t had an option like this for a very long time.”

Jim Unsworth, director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, said in a news release the priority is protecting the diminished number of wild coho expected to return this year. “We know that severely limiting opportunities will hurt many families and communities that depend on these fisheries,” he said in the release. “But conserving wild salmon is our top priority and is in the best interest of future generations of Washingtonians.”

Lorraine Loomis, chairwoman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, said tribal and state co-managers must consider no fishing as they work during the next month to create fishing seasons. “We hope it doesn’t come to that. Our cultures, treaty rights and economies depend on salmon. But the resource must come first,” she said in the news release. “We face an extraordinary conservation challenge this year. In many instances, returns will likely be far below minimum levels needed to produce the next generation of salmon. Conservation must be our sole focus as we work to rebuild these stocks.”

The process of setting salmon fishing seasons will conclude April 8-14 in Vancouver, Washington. At those meetings, the state and tribal co-managers will finalize fishing seasons for Puget Sound and the Columbia River, while the Pacific Fishery Management Council will choose among the three options for the ocean fishery.
Chuck Custer was running his charter boat Freedom out of Westport when fishing was closed in 1994. “Its a huge impact. That’s our bread and butter,” he said. “We just did what we could. Went bottom fishing, tuna fishing, anything we could to keep going.”

Custer said a closure would impact about 40 charter boats operating out of Westport. “When the salmon season is going, the town is going full tilt. (A closure) affects everybody, not just the charter boats. The restaurants and hotels need the fishermen. We’re all in it together.”

Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640

RECREATIONAL OCEAN FISHING OPTIONS
Alternative 1: 58,600 chinook and 37,800 coho. This option includes early season fisheries, from June 18-30, for hatchery chinook in waters from Ilwaco to Neah Bay. It also allows hatchery coho retention in all four marine areas during the traditional summer fishery.

Alternative 2: 30,000 chinook and 14,700 coho. There would be no early season fishing for hatchery chinook, but allows summer chinook fishering in all four marine areas. Hatchery coho fishing would be allowed only in Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco).

Alternative 3: No commercial or recreational salmon fisheries in Washington’s ocean waters.

Last year’s quotas: 64,000 chinook and 150,800 coho salmon.
Learn more: For more details about the options, go to pcouncil.org.
Get involved: The public can comment on the proposed ocean alternatives as well as on other proposed salmon fisheries at wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/northfalcon.

This a letter forwarded to me that is interesting in two ways. First the lady owns property on the Nemah. Second is she darn near had to claw her way on to the Willapa Advisers and has been fighting for the Recs. Her efforts to fully open up the Nemah & Naselle for all to fish is one of the best stands on Rec opportunity I have bumped into.



Hi Steve,

Sorry to hear you were under the weather for the last meeting.

The out look for the commercial fishing opportunity in the Willapa appears very grim. I'm not sure how you can justify much of a season " if any" with the conservative options put forth by the PFMC and current Willapa restraints in place.

No one could have anticipated the Coho population would drop off the face of the earth, placing the mainstay of commercial fishery in peril. I try to be compassionate about their declining fishery. However, when one door closes another often opens. Their misfortune should be recreational's opportunity.

For too many years the fresh water fishing opportunities were slowly bled dry as the nets choked off the supply. It warms my heart to see " even if by default" a reverse in this trend.

I've been reviewing the 2014 freshwater CRC data for the Naselle, The Willapa and the N. Nemah. It's interesting to note that although the Naselle is only releasing 800,000 Chinook in comparrison to the 3.3 million releases both the N. Nemah and the Willapa are fishing on . The Naselle's Hatchery surplus is disproportionately higher. This must largely be a result of the closed areas on the river during the Chinook run.

Hatchery Chinook Release CRC 2014 Hatchery Surplus

Nemah 3.3 mil 2,751 72

Willapa 3.3 950 1,476

Naselle 800,000 535 3,494


While the Naselle hatchery surplus is much higher than it should be. It's important to note: SXXX GXXX had petitioned the WDFW and the commission to keep much of the Naselle river closed for Chinook opportunity- thus limiting recreational participation and increasing the hatchery surplus. It is entirely possible that faced with a possible decline in hatchery Chinook production to reduce surplus and disease there, opening the closed area's of the river to freshwater opportunity may now be more appealing! I propose:
1. Temporary openings in the closed areas of the Naselle and the Willapa to reduce hatchery surplus and additional recreation fishing opportunities.
2. A recreational dip net fishery similar to Alaskan rivers- on appropriate selected days
3. Create a handicapped fishing weekend, below the hatcheries
These options may be more acceptable to the local landowners than simply throwing the season wide open. We need creative recreational options to manage hatchery harvest and reduce pre-spawning mortality. These recreational opportunities may not last long and should not be wasted.

Furthermore, their should be no retention of wild Coho in the Nemah until after November 1st because the entire early Sept/Oct run is simply gone. Let's replace the missing portion of Nemah's Coho run with some early run hatchery Coho stock from the Naselle, let them naturalize and call it good.

Review of the Coho CRC data for 2014 shows a whopping 14 Coho were caught in the N. Nemah in September.

Hatchery Coho 2014 CRC Freshwater Data 2014 hatchery Coho surplus

N. Nemah 14 0
Naselle 6,471 6,284
Willapa 3,104 2,454

Clearly the Naselle Coho recreational fishery is very robust. But with so many surplus hatchery Coho and the issue over pHos continuing to be a problem- additional creative recreational opportunities should be considered

Well here is the decision time information. As to testimony I have about zero ideas as we do not even know what is up for discussion let alone the Commissions final actions.


SPECIAL MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT MEETING via CONFERENCE CALL
Agenda WHEN: Thursday, March 24, 2016 – 9:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. WHAT:
A. Grays Harbor Salmon Management – Discussion and Public Hearing
Staff will brief the Commission on some possible ways to implement adaptive management in considering 2016 fisheries.

B. General Discussion
Commissioners and the Director may discuss recent activities and items of interest.

WHERE TO ATTEND:
The public will have the opportunity to provide testimony by going to the Department of Fish and Wildlife headquarters, Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington Street SE, Olympia room 172 or the Montesano office located at 48 Devonshire Road, Montesano. Comments can also be submitted via email to Commission@dfw.wa.gov

Here is Region 6 staff report to the Commission for the Grays Harbor conference call. Read and think.


Summary
Meeting dates: March 24, 2016
Agenda item: Grays Harbor Salmon Management

Presenter(s):
Ron Warren, Assistant Director, Fish Program Jim Scott, Special Assistant, Director’s Office Steve Thiesfeld, Region 6 Fish Program Manager
Background summary:
1) The purpose of the Grays Harbor Basin Salmon Management policy is to advance the conservation and restoration of wild salmon. Where consistent with this conservation objective, the policy also seeks to maintain or enhance the economic well-being and stability of the fishing industry in the state, and provide the public with outdoor recreational experiences and a fair distribution of fishing opportunities throughout the Grays Harbor Basin.
2) The policy includes a risk control provision that presumptively limits the impacts of WDFW-managed fisheries to 5% if a spawner goal has not been achieved for 3 of the last 5 years.
3) The forecasted return of 19,503 Chinook salmon to the Chehalis River in 2016 is more than twice the spawner goal. Despite this large predicted return, the risk control provision, if applied without any flexibility, would limit fishery impacts for WDFW– managed fisheries to 5%.
4) The Department evaluated potential adaptive management actions that would relax the 5% risk control provision but still result in a high likelihood of achieving the spawner goal.
5) Preliminary analysis indicates that an 85% probability of achieving the spawner goal could be maintained with a 8% nontreaty harvest rate, and a 77% probability of achieving the spawner goal could be maintained with a 12% nontreaty harvest rate.
6) A key assumption of the analysis is that the Quinault tribal fishery will be managed to achieve 50% of the harvestable number of Chinook salmon as determined by the preseason forecast of abundance.

Additional information is provided in the attached briefing paper.
Policy issue(s) you are bringing to the Commission for consideration:
During the North of Falcon preseason planning process, the Department proposes to explore adaptively managing the state-managed Grays Harbor fishery to provide a high likelihood of achieving the Chehalis Chinook salmon spawner goal and providing a limited recreational Chinook fishery with a target harvest rate of 8%-10%.
Public involvement process used and what you learned:

N/A
Action requested:
Public input and Fish and Wildlife Commission discussion of proposed adaptive management actions.
Draft motion language:
N/A
Justification for Commission action:
N/A
Communications Plan:
Adaptive management proposal will be discussed with stakeholders during the North of Falcon preseason fishery planning process.
Form revised 12/5/12

Adaptive Management of Grays Harbor Basin Chinook Salmon
Draft March 22, 2016

Synopsis
1) The purpose of the Grays Harbor Basin Salmon Management policy is to advance the conservation and restoration of wild salmon. Where consistent with this conservation objective, the policy also seeks to maintain or enhance the economic well-being and stability of the fishing industry in the state, and provide the public with outdoor recreational experiences and a fair distribution of fishing opportunities throughout the Grays Harbor Basin.
2) The policy includes a risk control provision that presumptively limits the impacts of WDFW-managed fisheries to 5% if a spawner goal has not been achieved for 3 of the last 5 years.
3) The forecasted return of 19,503 Chinook salmon to the Chehalis River in 2016 is more than twice the spawner goal. Despite this large predicted return, the risk control provision, if applied without any flexibility, would limit fishery impacts for WDFW–managed fisheries to 5%.
4) The Department evaluated potential adaptive management actions that would relax the 5% risk control provision but still result in a high likelihood of achieving the spawner goal.
5) Preliminary analysis indicates that an 85% probability of achieving the spawner goal could be maintained with a 8% nontreaty harvest rate, and a 77% probability of achieving the spawner goal could be maintained with a 12% nontreaty harvest rate.
6) A key assumption of the analysis is that the Quinault tribal fishery will be managed to achieve 50% of the harvestable number of Chinook salmon as determined by the preseason forecast of abundance.
7) During the North of Falcon preseason planning process, the Department proposes to explore adaptively managing the state-managed Grays Harbor fishery to provide a high likelihood of achieving the Chehalis Chinook salmon spawner goal and providing a limited recreational Chinook fishery with a target harvest rate of 8%-10%.

Summary of Grays Harbor Policy
The purpose of the Grays Harbor Basin Salmon Management policy is to advance the conservation and restoration of wild salmon. Where consistent with this conservation objective, the policy also seeks to maintain or enhance the economic well-being and stability of the fishing industry in the state, and provide the public with outdoor recreational experiences and a fair distribution of fishing opportunities throughout the Grays Harbor Basin.
To promote the achievement of these objectives, the policy provides a general policy statement, guiding principles, and fishery and species-specific guidance. The policy also recognizes that adaptive management “will be essential to achieve the purpose of this policy”. The policy states that “Department staff may implement actions to manage adaptively to achieve the objectives of this policy and will coordinate with the Commission, as need, in order to implement corrective action”.

Priority of Achieving Spawner Goals
During the development of the policy, Commissioners and stakeholders frequently stated the importance of achieving the spawner goal for Chehalis River Chinook salmon. The policy includes a number of provisions intended to promote this outcome, including improved fishery management and technical tools, enhanced monitoring and enforcement, and an increased emphasis on in-season management. In addition, to increase the

certainty of meeting spawner goals, the Policy also includes a provision to limit the impacts of WDFW-managed fisheries to 5% if the spawner goal has not been achieved for 3 of the last 5 years.
This risk control provision is a strong, but relatively blunt tool, for increasing the certainty of achieving spawner goals. The spawner goal for Chehalis Chinook salmon has been achieved in 1 of the 2 years since passage of the policy, and in 1 of the last 5 years.

2016 Adaptive Management
The forecasted return of 19,503 Chinook salmon to the Chehalis River in 2016 is more than twice the spawner goal. Despite this large predicted return, fishery impacts for WDFW–managed fisheries would presumptively be limited to 5% by the risk control provision absent adaptive management action.
The Department evaluated potential adaptive management actions that would relax the 5% risk control provision but still result in a high likelihood of achieving the spawner goal. An important source of management imprecision is the preseason forecast of Chinook salmon to Grays Harbor. Since 1990, the actual run has ranged from 62% to 212% of the preseason forecast. The distribution of these forecast errors was used to evaluate the likelihood of meeting the Chehalis Chinook spawner goal under various management options.
Preliminary analysis indicated that the 5% risk control provision can be loosened slightly and still provide a high likelihood that the spawner goal would be achieved for Chehalis Chinook salmon. The analysis indicates that an 85% probability of achieving the spawner goal could be maintained with a 8% nontreaty harvest rate, and a 77% probability could be maintained with a 12% nontreaty harvest rate.
Key assumptions of the analysis are:
1) The Quinault tribal fishery will be managed to achieve 50% of the harvestable number of Chinook salmon as determined by the preseason forecast of abundance.
2) The harvest rate in the nontreaty fishery will not exceed the specified level.
3) The performance of preseason forecasts is consistent with the pattern observed from 1990 through 2015.

During the North of Falcon preseason planning process, the Department proposes to explore adaptively managing the state-managed Grays Harbor fishery to provide a high likelihood of achieving the spawner goal and providing a limited recreational Chinook fishery with a target harvest rate of 8%-10%.

in other words. the Q's get theirs to hell with anyone else. has the state ever been right on their forecasts?

This depends on QIN stopping at 50, the Chehalis reporting, WDFW getting the forecast right.

That penalty box is there because actions have consequences. Don't like the consequences, don't **ck up.