WDFW Commission says state fishery managers need better balance on Puget Sound selective hatchery Chinook fishing opportunities and conservation issues

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Commission advised state fishery managers Tuesday to make concessions for better balance between conservation and fishing opportunities on a revised Puget Sound Chinook Harvest Management Plan.

The 10-year proposal came to light on Dec. 1 when it was submitted to NOAA, and was negotiated prior to between WDFW and Treaty Tribal fisheries managers.

The initial plan was supposed to take effect beginning in 2019 through 2029, and also had to potential to impact the 2018 salmon fishing seasons.

At a commission meeting on Jan. 19, George Harris, CEO and President of the Northwest Marine Trade Association along with other sport-fishing industry groups including Puget Sound Anglers, Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association, Fish Northwest and Coastal Conservation Association voiced their concerns of the proposal that would’ve adversely affected the future of marked-selective fishing opportunities for hatchery salmon.

During a conference call Tuesday, the commission – a citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for WDFW – instructed state fishery managers to explore a variety of options as they revisit catch rates and other pieces of the updated plan.

"Ultimately, we would all like to see salmon runs restored in Puget Sound, but severely restricting fisheries isn't the only path to achieving that goal," Brad Smith, commission chairman said in a news release. "For that reason, we advised WDFW staff to explore other salmon recovery options, including improvements to habitat and hatchery operations."

The increased protection for wild chinook in Stillaguamish and Snohomish rivers would’ve severely restricted numerous fisheries since those fish are intermingled with healthy hatchery salmon stocks and caught in many areas of Puget Sound as well as Canada and clear up to Alaska the northern-most area of their migration path.

NOAA already notified the co-managers the plan was insufficient, noting that several key salmon stocks wouldn’t meet new — more restrictive — federal conservation objectives.

"Over the last few weeks, we've heard from many people who are concerned this plan could result in the closure of all Puget Sound sport fisheries, but that's not the case," Smith said. "Yes, the plan does call for reductions to some fisheries, especially in years of low salmon abundance. But we have an opportunity – given the need to revise the plan – to use various mitigation tools to offset impacts from fisheries when and where appropriate."

The commission asked WDFW to look at ways to increase habitat restoration efforts; improve hatchery operations, including increasing production to support salmon recovery efforts; and reduce populations of predators, such as seals and sea lions.

The review process will take 18 months once the federal agency gives approval that the plan is sufficient for a full review, making it likely a revision won't take effect until the 2020-2021 fishing season.

In the future, there will be opportunities for public comment during that review process, and the commission has requested for regular updates.

The hope is that a long-term management plan will reduce uncertainty in the annual salmon season-setting process, providing more stability for sport and commercial fisheries.

The commission asked state fishery managers to continue to discuss the possibility of using the 2017 conservation objectives for this year's upcoming planning efforts.

The salmon forecast public meeting is Feb. 27 at the Lacey Community Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A series of meeting will follow in what is termed the “North of Falcon Process” and final seasons will be set on April 6-11 in Portland, Oregon. 

Members that would like to learn more about the plan, along with feedback from NOAA, can go to https://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/fisheries/chinook/.