OLYMPIA – Continued low returns of some key Chinook salmon stocks are expected to limit numerous Washington salmon fisheries in the upcoming season, state fishery managers announced today. The state’s 2020-21 salmon fishing seasons, developed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and treaty tribal co-managers, were tentatively set today during the …
SPOKANE – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has agreed to allow the use of gillnets during the fall salmon fishery on the lower Columbia River while state fishery managers work with their Oregon counterparts to develop a joint long-term policy for shared waters. The commission, a citizen panel appointed by the governor to …
WDFW FISHING RULE CHANGE Action: Temporarily close Easton Ponds 1 and 2 in Kittitas County to all fishing. Effective date: March 1 through April 26, 2019. Species affected: All species Location: Easton Gravel Pit Ponds 1 and 2 adjacent to the Interstate 90 Easton Exit 71 in Kittitas County. Reason for action: The Yakima/Klickitat Fisheries Project managers (Yakama …
VANCOUVER, Wash. – Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon today approved a sports fishery, for spring chinook salmon on the Columbia River that reflects a significant reduction in the number of fish available for harvest this year. According to preseason projections, about 99,300 upriver spring chinook will reach the Columbia this year, down 14 …
OLYMPIA – A proposal from state Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, would leverage private investment in salmon hatcheries to help restore declining orca populations on Puget Sound. Under Senate Bill 5824, the first new hatchery would go to Bellingham, testing the Alaska model for hatchery management in Washington state. In Alaska, hatcheries are largely self-funded …
OLYMPIA – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will take public input on various topics – including hatchery reform, salmon management in Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay, and several land transactions – during an upcoming meeting in Olympia. The commission, a citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for the Washington Department …
OLYMPIA – Razor clam diggers can return to various ocean beaches for a three-day opening beginning Friday, Feb. 1. State shellfish managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) approved the dig on evening low tides after marine toxin tests showed the clams are safe to eat. No digging will be allowed …
OLYMPIA – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has signaled its support for state fishery managers’ plans to consider the dietary needs of endangered orcas when they set this year’s salmon-fishing seasons. The commission, a citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), directed …
Due to the significant overpopulation of the California Sea Lion over the last decade, there has been a steady decline in the numbers of salmon making there way back to spawn in the Columbia River System. Recently legislation was passed allowing for the killing of sea lions in an attempt to help prevent the continued …
OLYMPIA – The public is invited to attend a meeting scheduled this month by members of the Washington and Oregon fish and wildlife commissions to discuss next steps in reforming salmon management on the Columbia River. The meeting is set for Jan. 17 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Oregon Fish and …