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Put End to Destructive Gillnetting by Matt Olson The Columbian, January 15, 2023

Many of us care deeply about the recovery of Pacific salmon. While the costly and complex idea of breaching the four Snake River dams has grown in popularity, it is important to remember that commercial overfishing is what first caused the declines in our salmon populations. It is shameful that endangered Pacific salmon can still be legally sold for human consumption.

The Queets River on the Olympic Peninsula is the perfect example of a healthy, dam-free river. Protected in a national park, the Queets is one of the most pristine rivers on the West Coast. Despite its natural beauty and no dams, fisheries managers raised conservation concerns regarding the returning salmon this year due to commercial overfishing.

In 1995, the National Marine Fisheries Service recommended an end to nontribal gillnet fishing in the Columbia River. While progress has been made with the recent $14.4 million nontribal gillnet license buyback program in the Columbia River, more must be done to address this issue, including legislation to eliminate non-tribal gillnetting. Visit www.ccawashington.org to learn how you can help put an end to the usage of destructive gillnetting on the lower Columbia River.

Related Pages:
Gillnetters Approve, Anglers Reel at Columbia River Salmon Policy Change by Mallory Gruben, The Daily News, 9/21/20