I have a question as to what I-696 will do to the availability of herring for sport fishers. Anyone know?

I know the westport charters are opposed to the initiative because it will eliminate there being able to use anchovies/sardines for tuna and bottomfish, yet they don't mention herring and their salmon fishery on the ocean.

I occasionally use fresh but more often buy it frozen because that is all that is available to me. Will I still be able to buy frozen?

I'm voting yes on the initiative but the herring issue is a gray area to me and most of what I have heard is gossip. Anyone willing to share the facts with me?

Thanks!

There is a provision in the wording of the text for catching herring using a dip bag net. I hope that this helps. Please see my post on the other I696 message.

Thanks for the reply but what is a dip bag net? Is it something I will have to use on my own or can the puget sound company whom I buy frozen herring from use it?

Does the frozen herring company currently use dip bag nets? or is it something they will have to adapt to thus changing the availability of herring?

Alot of questions, I know, but I guess I just want assurrances that herring will still be available to buy.

Eric, A much bigger threat to your herring supply than I-696 is the petition by former Fisheries biologist, Sam Wright, to have Pacific herring added to the endangered species list. I only know of two individuals whose herring seine permits would be eliminated by I-696. I was told that even if all herring netting was prohibited here, Canada could supply all the frozen herring U.S. anglers would need. A lot of sportsfishers successfully catch salmon without using herring. Spoons, plugs, flies, plastic worms, scents, hoochies stuffed with powerbait,and jigs are just a few examples. I always use a herring teaser on my hoochies, but am anxious to try a strip of squid in its place. I've had good results with squid strips on river steelhead and silvers. Haven't tried using it with saltwater techniques. You'll be able to jig squid off public piers, after dark, from now until Christmas. If you try it, dress about twice as warm as you would for winter steelheading. Good luck.

The way this ini
tive is worded would pretty much prelude any fresh herring in Puget Sound.Also,hope you like paying 10 bucks a pound Oregon shrimp

I was in Canada a few times this summer. Frozen Puget Sound herring is available everywhere up there. Cut the export and I bet the herring population increases. Just another plus for no nets! Anyone remember the days when herring balls were everywhere out there and you could easily catch them yourself? I do. Damn nets!

I-696 would likely mean an end to readily available fresh herring in Puget Sound. I know that Possession Pt. Bait Co. uses a seine and this would be prohibitted under the measure. I don't know what harvest methods Buds Bait over in Edmonds or other areas such as Pt. Defiance use.

As far as herring being a candidate for listing on the Endangered Species List, there are some major issues that need to be worked out before the species will be considered for listing. There are 18 separate spawning stocks of herring in Puget Sound that Fish and Wildlife manages, while the Feds (Natl. Marine Fisheries Service) look at the Sound as a single population. The largest of the stocks, which spawns in the Cherry Pt. region north of Bellingham, is critically depressed, but most of the other stocks are healthy. It's this Cherry Point stock that may be driving the push to list.

I don't believe the scientific data warrants Puget Sound herring to be listed as a single population. There may be (should be) a push to divide the stocks into spawning populations, and list only the seriously depressed ones.

Here are some facts regarding the herring question. A Narrows Marina spokesman said they use herring lampara and dip nets to catch their bait. They don't anticipate any problem with supply when I-696 passes. Tom Nelson, spokesman for Yes on 696, said they consulted with most herring suppliers before drafting the language in this initiative. Most herring are caught using lampara gear. Bud's Bait would not be affected, but the Possession supplier would because his permit is for a beach seine. The only other permit known to be eliminated is that of a Westport Charter owner. He has a seine permit. Herring, both fresh and frozen, will continue to be in good supply unless the state restricts catch to prevent them from being listed as threatened or endangered. We may still get a chance to try those Canadian suppliers out yet, heh.

Thats good to here, I didn't realize that most all of the other suppliers used lampara gear. In the past, I've gotten all of my herring from Possession Pt. Bait Co. and was a little worried about alternative supplies in the Sound. Hopefully Possession can change gear types and won't experience any hardships. They do more than their share for the salmon resource, raising and releasing silver smolts from pens on their property.

Another note about ESA and herring: according to fish and wildlife, the sport bait fishery occurs principally in the south/central sound and harvest is based on the pooled average of south/central Puget Sound stock populations. Presently, the stock status in south/central Puget Sound is considered 'healthy'.

Thanks for everyone's replies! Sounds like I don't have too much to worry about.

Vote yes!