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Ocean Salmon Fishing Options Set, and Includes a No Summer Fishery Alternative to Protect Dismal Coho Returns by Mark Yuasa Seattle Times, March 14, 2016

The dismal coho forecasts were expected to create problems in setting the salmon fishing seasons this summer, and while closing all ocean fishing is still on the table, it appears there are alternatives to access healthy hatchery salmon stocks.

State, tribal and federal fishery managers met this past week in Sacramento to develop three ocean salmon fishing options.

"The tribes were very adamant about issuing a zero fishing option, and while the meetings started off bad it gradually got better," said Larry Giese, owner of Deep Sea Charters in Westport and a member of the state's sport fishing advisory board.

"Our top priority is to make sure we protect the poor coho returns on rivers like the Queets, Quillayute and Hoh," Giese said. "I know there are some who don't agree that hatchery production works, but when we are faced with these kinds of situations, it offers a buffer to protect wild fish stocks while being able to fish on healthy hatchery runs."

OPTION ONE (58,600 chinook and 37,800 coho catch quota):

Early hatchery-marked chinook fishery from June 18-30 off Ilwaco, Westport, La Push and Neah Bay. Then open daily at all four marine areas during the traditional summer fishery that would begin July 1.

Neah Bay (3,900 hatchery-marked coho and 9,000 chinook quota) would be open daily from July 1 to Aug. 31 or could close sooner if catch quotas are achieved. Daily limit is two salmon (release chum beginning Aug. 1).

La Push (1,000 hatchery-marked coho and 2,900 chinook quota) would be open daily from July 1 to Aug. 31 or could close sooner if catch quotas are achieved. Daily limit is two salmon.

Westport (14,000 hatchery-marked coho and 24,200 chinook quota) would be open daily from July 1 to Aug. 31 or could close sooner if catch quotas are achieved. Daily limit is two salmon.

Ilwaco (18,900 hatchery-marked coho and 14,900 chinook quota) would be open daily from July 1 to Aug. 31 or could close sooner if catch quotas are achieved. Daily limit is two salmon, and no more than one may be a chinook.

Buoy 10 fishery at Columbia River mouth would open Aug. 1 and a 20,000 hatchery-marked coho quota in August and September.

OPTION TWO (30,000 chinook and 14,700 coho):

No early summer season for hatchery chinook, but provides summer chinook fisheries in all four marine areas. Hatchery coho fishing would be allowed only off Ilwaco.

Neah Bay (5,300 chinook quota) would be open daily from June 25 to Sept. 30 or could close sooner if catch quota is achieved. Two salmon daily limit, release coho and release chum beginning Aug. 1.

La Push (1,600 chinook quota) would be open daily from June 25 to Sept. 30 or could close sooner if catch quota is achieved. Two salmon daily limit, release coho.

Westport (14,200 chinook quota) would be open Thursday to Sunday only from June 25 to Sept. 30 or could close sooner if catch quota is achieved. Two salmon daily limit, release coho.

Ilwaco (14,700 hatchery-marked coho and 8,800 chinook quota) would be open daily from June 25 to Sept. 30 or could close sooner if catch quotas are achieved. Two salmon daily limit, and no more than one may be a chinook.

Buoy 10 fishery at Columbia River mouth would open Aug. 1 and a 20,000 hatchery-marked coho quota in August and September.

OPTION THREE

No commercial or sport salmon fisheries off the entire coast.

Last year's ocean sport fishing catch quotas were 64,000 chinook and 150,800 coho.

In a news release, Jim Unsworth, the state Fish and Wildlife director, 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, chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, stated in the news release that 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," Loomis said. "Our cultures, treaty rights and economies depend on salmon. 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 forecast this summer calls for 549,200 coho to arrive off the Washington-Oregon coast, compared to a preseason forecast of 1,015,000 last year and an actual return of 322,100 (forecast in 2014 was 964,100 and a return of 1,240,800).

The Columbia subtotal this season is 380,600 -- these are fish that turn the corner of southwest Washington and doesn't include the northern Oregon coast.

"Those coho numbers aren't good, bottom line, and we're on the thin side, but that figure isn't the end of the world," said Doug Milward, a state Fish and Wildlife coastal salmon manager.

The Columbia forecast last year was 777,100 coho, but less than a third actually returned -- 242,300. Poor ocean conditions and a lack of feed could have played a negative role.

The highlight this summer appears to be a strong Columbia River fall chinook return that will be similar to recent past years. The five-year average has been 800,000 for upriver bright-bound chinook.

Last year, the forecast was 664,700, but the actual return was estimated to be 969,400, and was the second largest return since 1964.

State Fish and Wildlife will discuss inner-Puget Sound salmon fishing options at the first "North of Falcon" public meeting 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday (March 15) at the General Adminstration Building, 210 11th Avenue S.W. in Olympia. Parking is available in the visitor lot of the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. S.E. in Olympia.

Fishing seasons will be finalized April 8-14 during the Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting at Hilton Vancouver, 301 W. 6th St. in Vancouver. For a list of meeting dates, go to wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/northfalcon/.