To those who care about the Sockeye Fishery...

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Source: www.seattletimes.com 2/22/04 ed.

Article in it's entiretly follows...

Lake Wash. sockeye fishery possible if budget is OK'd

By Mark Yuasa
Seattle Times staff reporter


The predicted sockeye-salmon return this summer to Lake Washington could be large enough to support a sport fishery, but some key issues need to be addressed before anyone can wet a line.

State Fish and Wildlife indicated there isn't any money to manage a summer sport-sockeye fishery under its $277.8 million budget for 2003-05.

However, Gov. Gary Locke stepped in to approve including a supplemental budget request for the $120,000 needed for the popular Lake Washington sockeye fishery.

Now the request is in the hands of the Legislature, which still has to act on it and include the money in the budget bill that eventually comes back to the governor for his signature.

Interested citizens who wish to affect the outcome should contact their legislators.

The legislative session ends March 11, and the budget bills must be produced by March 5.

"Some say the fishery this summer could be worth more than $10 million to the region and state," said Frank Urabeck, a representative for Washington Council of Trout Unlimited.

The daily sockeye counts begin June 12 at the Ballard Locks' fish-viewing window, and the run usually peaks by the Fourth of July.

"We've settled on a preseason forecast and it will go over the 350,000 sockeye-spawning escapement goal," said Mike Mahovlich, a Muckleshoot tribal biologist. "But these are just paper fish (computer-driven forecasts) and we base our information on in-season data."

"When (this year's adult sockeye) left the lake as juvenile smolts, they didn't face many problems, we had a good 3-year-old fish survival, and jack returns last year were good," Mahovlich said.




"The general forecasts over the next four to five years look good, and we ended up with a fairly good run last year, which was on a low-year run cycle," Mahovlich said.

The public is invited to voice opinions on the sockeye fishery during a series of meetings to set salmon seasons. The meetings begin at 9:30 a.m. March 1 at the General Administration Building, 11th and Columbia St. in Olympia

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Please folks, contact your government officials at the state and local levels to express your opinion about the Sockeye Fishery.

Thanks,

SalmonFisher

The allocation on the budget has made it out of both houses and now needs Gov Locke's signature. Hopefully not too much pork will burden the budget so the money for the sockeye fishery can be signed into law.

Thx G-pa!