HOOK AND FUR By Bob Brown In a recent news release, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) said poor forecasts of returning coho 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. In anticipation of the low coho return, fishery managers have developed three options for ocean fisheries. Two options would permit some salmon fishing, but one would close recreational and commercial ocean fishing for both chinook and coho. 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 marine areas 1-4. This option also allows hatchery coho retention during the traditional summer fishery in all four marine areas " Alternative 2: 30,000 chinook and 14,700 coho. This 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 (llwaco). " Alternative 3: No commercial or recreational salmon in Washington's ocean waters. The three alternatives have been approved 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 is scheduled for March 28 in Westport. For more details about the options, visit the PFMC website. Jim Unsworth, WDFW 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.
Tracking wolves
Washington's wolf population continues to grow and has at least four new packs, according to a recent WDFW annual survey. By the end of last year, the state was home to at least 90 wolves, 18 packs and eight breeding pairs. Donny Martorello, WDFW wolf policy lead, said the new Beaver Creek, Loup Loup, Skookum, and Stranger packs were confirmed in Ferry, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, and Stevens counties. Martorello also said the minimum number of breeding pairs in Washington increased from five to eight, the first increase since 2011. Despite their growing numbers, wolves were involved in fewer conflicts with livestock than in 2014. It was determined that wolves from four packs were responsible for killing seven cattle and injuring one guard dog. Three of the seven wolves killed last year were legally killed by hunters on the reservation of the Spokane Tribe of Indians, which authorized the harvest of up to six wolves per year by tribal members. The four other deaths included one killed in a collision with a vehicle, one shot in self-defense by a property owner, and one that died during an attempt to capture it. The cause of one wolf's death is unknown.
Cowlitz fishing
Fishing has been pretty good on the Cowlitz River. During March 7-13, 132 Cowlitz boat anglers kept 85 winter steelhead and released one wild. Sixty-four bank anglers kept five hatchery spring chinook, 10 hatchery steelhead and released one. Barrier dam produced the spring chinook, while most of the steelhead were caught around the trout hatchery. Some fish were caught downriver. During that week, 346 winter steelhead and 25 chinook were recovered at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery. Flows were approximately 10,300 cubic feet per second on March 14, with a visibility of about four feet, according to officials.
Bob Brown lives is a freelance outdoors writer and lives in Roy. He can be reached at robertb1285@centurylink.net
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment