[5] Mark-Selective Chinook Fishery A Possibility Off Washington Coast

The Pacific Fishery Management Council will likely recommend another year off for salmon fishers in California and Southern Oregon, but expects more fishing opportunities off Washington than last year. Included in their options out for public review, is one that calls for a mark-selective fishery for recreational fishers between Westport and the Columbia River area.

If it flies, the sporties would get more chinook to catch and have a reduced impact on the ESA-listed wild chinook from the lower Columbia region. The recreational chinook quota would be 38,000 fish with the mark-selective option, but only 10,000 to 22,500 without it.

"In a year like this, adding chinook selective fisheries in the ocean would help us meet or exceed our conservation objectives while allowing for meaningful recreational fishing opportunities in the ocean," said WDFW interim director Phil Anderson.

For nearly a decade, the mass marking of hatchery-produced coho salmon has allowed anglers to fish selectively in Washington's ocean waters. Mass marking of lower Columbia River hatchery chinook--known as "tules"--has been under way since the mid-2000s and the PFMC is considering using this management tool in ocean fisheries for chinook, Anderson said.

Sport fishers already target hatchery coho with a mark-selective fishery, and big numbers of them are expected this summer, with a northern Oregon and Washington quota that ranges from 168,000 to 189,000 fish, eight or nine times last year's quota.

Commercial chinook quotas range from 10,000 to 22,500, similar to last year, with a 32,000-36,000-coho quota, also eight or nine times higher than last year.

Managers expect the highest return to Columbia River coho hatcheries since 2001, and Oregon coastal natural coho to show a similar increase-it's the second highest forecast since 1996. -B. R.

The following links were mentioned in this story:

Analysis of Proposed Regulatory Options for 2009 Ocean Salmon Fisheries

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