Yesterday during our Fish Committee meeting I learned some great news about fishing and boating in central Puget Sound. Tony Floor, our Director of Fishing Affairs, reported that according to the WDFW (Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife) angler trips for central Puget Sound are 30% up this year.
Last year the WDFW estimated that from July 16 through the third week of August there were 20,000 angler trips. The estimate this year is 34,000 angler trips! Saltwater salmon fishing is my favorite way to spend time on the water and from what I see the numbers are accurate. Every where I go this year I see more boats at West Point, Jefferson Head and Possession Bar. Nice boats too – fiberglass and aluminum – most probably sold or serviced by NMTA members.
Why are more people fishing? I think it is two reasons. First, a new “mark selective fishery” for hatchery produced Chinook in July and August. In 2006 this fishery didn’t exist and in 2007 and 2008 we had a quota. For 2009 it was a six-week season that closed on August 31. On page 13 of the NMTA business plan our goal is to “increase sport fishing opportunities in the Pacific Northwest” and “increase the number of days that people fish”. Tony Floor works on these goals everyday and especially hard in the spring when the new seasons are negotiated with WDFW during the process called North of Falcon. The second reason is good fishing close to home and lots of fish returning to Puget Sound. Tony and the NMTA have been promoting this to the media all summer long. It’s essential we make available and promote the greatest number of boating opportunities for boaters so that we retain them. In this case it was fishing opportunities and it has really paid off.
Last year the WDFW estimated that from July 16 through the third week of August there were 20,000 angler trips. The estimate this year is 34,000 angler trips! Saltwater salmon fishing is my favorite way to spend time on the water and from what I see the numbers are accurate. Every where I go this year I see more boats at West Point, Jefferson Head and Possession Bar. Nice boats too – fiberglass and aluminum – most probably sold or serviced by NMTA members.
Why are more people fishing? I think it is two reasons. First, a new “mark selective fishery” for hatchery produced Chinook in July and August. In 2006 this fishery didn’t exist and in 2007 and 2008 we had a quota. For 2009 it was a six-week season that closed on August 31. On page 13 of the NMTA business plan our goal is to “increase sport fishing opportunities in the Pacific Northwest” and “increase the number of days that people fish”. Tony Floor works on these goals everyday and especially hard in the spring when the new seasons are negotiated with WDFW during the process called North of Falcon. The second reason is good fishing close to home and lots of fish returning to Puget Sound. Tony and the NMTA have been promoting this to the media all summer long. It’s essential we make available and promote the greatest number of boating opportunities for boaters so that we retain them. In this case it was fishing opportunities and it has really paid off.
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