spectr17
06-26-2008, 01:07 AM
Anglers Asked to Step up Wild Salmon Protections
6/23/08
Sports Anglers Urged Voluntary Release of Wild Summer Chinook in Joint State Waters
Oregon City, Oregon -Columbia River sports anglers are called on to voluntarily release wild summer Chinook, in spite of an ill-conceived and angler opposed regulation allowing the harvest of wild Summer Chinook salmon scheduled to being Saturday, June 21. A handful of these wild Summer Chinook will enter the Columbia and fight their way to spawn in Canada, remnants of the once renowned "June Hogs".
Directed sport fishing on Summer Chinook was closed from 1964 through 2001 and the regulations originally required that all wild summer Chinook released back into the river unharmed, west of Bonneville Dam. Primarily at the insistence of the Washington Department of Fish &Wildlife, fishery managers now encourage anglers to catch and kill wild Summer Chinook.
Responding to the catch and kill regulations, sport fishing interests in both states have been nearly unanimous in their opposition to the weakening of wild salmon protections and want to increase spawning escapement. Focusing on hatchery fish in the fishery also decreases the co-mingling of hatchery fish on the spawning beds, adding increased protections for the wild fish spawning hundreds of miles from the Ocean.
Killing wild Summer Chinook in a fishery where over one half of the available fish are adipose marked hatchery fish is contrary to our region's effort to implement selective fisheries and runs counter to the selective fishery ethic that sport fishers are known to support.
The summer Chinook run begins in June and continues through July and includes both wild and hatchery fish. This could allow for a selective fishery in which anglers may catch-and-keep hatchery fish, and catch-and-release wild fish. According to ODF&W, sports anglers could nearly double their fishing days-preseason estimates indicated that a selective fishery would extend the season from 8 days to 14 days. Not only are we shorting sports anglers and their family time on the water, we are impacting our tourism economy with catch and kill regulations.
Another reason to release wild fish unharmed in the current Summer Chinook sport fishery is the fact that recent pit tag data indicates that a substantial number of Spring Chinook are still crossing over Bonneville Dam. Spring Chinook federally protected, and sport fishers are required to release all wild Spring Chinook unharmed.
Our region is fortunate to have wild Summer Chinook given the severe habitat limitations and high ocean harvest rates of their stocks. Between hydropower and excessive water temperatures, the summer Chinook already have enough obstacles before they reach their spawning beds. Below Bonneville dam, NSIA encourages sports anglers to do our part by releasing all unmarked summer Chinook and provide added protection for the last salmon to enter the Columbia and spawn in Canada.
Media Contact:
Liz Hamilton (866) 315- NSIA or (503) 704-1772
6/23/08
Sports Anglers Urged Voluntary Release of Wild Summer Chinook in Joint State Waters
Oregon City, Oregon -Columbia River sports anglers are called on to voluntarily release wild summer Chinook, in spite of an ill-conceived and angler opposed regulation allowing the harvest of wild Summer Chinook salmon scheduled to being Saturday, June 21. A handful of these wild Summer Chinook will enter the Columbia and fight their way to spawn in Canada, remnants of the once renowned "June Hogs".
Directed sport fishing on Summer Chinook was closed from 1964 through 2001 and the regulations originally required that all wild summer Chinook released back into the river unharmed, west of Bonneville Dam. Primarily at the insistence of the Washington Department of Fish &Wildlife, fishery managers now encourage anglers to catch and kill wild Summer Chinook.
Responding to the catch and kill regulations, sport fishing interests in both states have been nearly unanimous in their opposition to the weakening of wild salmon protections and want to increase spawning escapement. Focusing on hatchery fish in the fishery also decreases the co-mingling of hatchery fish on the spawning beds, adding increased protections for the wild fish spawning hundreds of miles from the Ocean.
Killing wild Summer Chinook in a fishery where over one half of the available fish are adipose marked hatchery fish is contrary to our region's effort to implement selective fisheries and runs counter to the selective fishery ethic that sport fishers are known to support.
The summer Chinook run begins in June and continues through July and includes both wild and hatchery fish. This could allow for a selective fishery in which anglers may catch-and-keep hatchery fish, and catch-and-release wild fish. According to ODF&W, sports anglers could nearly double their fishing days-preseason estimates indicated that a selective fishery would extend the season from 8 days to 14 days. Not only are we shorting sports anglers and their family time on the water, we are impacting our tourism economy with catch and kill regulations.
Another reason to release wild fish unharmed in the current Summer Chinook sport fishery is the fact that recent pit tag data indicates that a substantial number of Spring Chinook are still crossing over Bonneville Dam. Spring Chinook federally protected, and sport fishers are required to release all wild Spring Chinook unharmed.
Our region is fortunate to have wild Summer Chinook given the severe habitat limitations and high ocean harvest rates of their stocks. Between hydropower and excessive water temperatures, the summer Chinook already have enough obstacles before they reach their spawning beds. Below Bonneville dam, NSIA encourages sports anglers to do our part by releasing all unmarked summer Chinook and provide added protection for the last salmon to enter the Columbia and spawn in Canada.
Media Contact:
Liz Hamilton (866) 315- NSIA or (503) 704-1772