Attached is our Puget Sound Anglers letter concerning the Puget Sound Chinook Harvest Plan. We have fully invested hundreds of ours on this issue.
The Stillaguamish river Chinook is the main problem. The facts of the river were not well thought out and are going to make a self inflicted disaster on Washington State. The general public is outraged and is starting to understand that this signed plan is going to cause unjustified harm to us and our state and does not fix the problem. The fact sheet will back up our findings.
We have had some of the best biologists (WDFWs retired) review and model the management plan for us. In responding, they have said this is a terrible (Stillaguamish portion driver) plan and should never have been signed.
We welcome your feedback and are happy to work with you in any way possible. This is an unacceptable self imposed crisis in the making and cannot go forward as presented. It must either be altered or rescinded and cannot be used as a framework for 2018 NOF.
Sincerly,
Ron Garner
President
Puget Sound Anglers
State Board
State Board Presidents Message
We hope all of you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Starting this year it is going to be important to get involved in our fisheries more than ever. Issues arise and I feel that as a constituent that helps keep the lights on at WDFW, we are not valued other than a revenue source. Am I preaching to the choir? Our NOF was very toxic during 2016 negotiations. Last year WDFW entered into a 10 year Puget Sound Chinook Harvest Management Plan, this was in the process for most of a year and no public or constituent input was asked for. Not even the WDFW Commission (Policy making body for WDFW) was told about it. It's sad when the President of the Puget Sound Anglers is the first to get it and sends it out to everyone else. I have to tell you that I feel sorry for staff and do not believe that they were in agreement with this as sitting in meetings with them and how frustrated they were having to explain this. It was obvious they were upset and having to defend something that I don't think they agreed with was shown in their frustration.
There should have been stakeholder and Commission input along the way of putting this together. But this never happened. It was kept quiet and then when done was dropped in our laps. I am leaving right now for Olympia again to see what we can do to change the outcome for this. PSA is working very hard on your behalf and every high up relationship is going to be used to make sure we secure fisheries for you, your family, kids, and grandkids.
We are finally starting to see hatchery production increases so we can fish more and at the same time feed our Orcas. This is a work in progress but necessary for us as Washingtonians. Please stay tuned! Join and support your local Puget Sound Anglers Chapter.
Did you know that some yelloweye rockfish
that are here today were Washington residents before it became a
state in 1889? They have been and continue to be an important
part of our heritage.
Halibut and bottomfish fishing have also
been a part of Washington’s culture for hundreds of years. Many
generations of fishermen have relied on halibut and bottomfish
for food and recreation.
Fishery
Management
A recent stock assessment indicates that
the yelloweye rockfish population has declined over 80% from its
initial level. As a result, immediate action must be taken if
the stocks of these long-lived fish are to be rebuilt.
To rebuild yelloweye rockfish populations,
the harvest opportunities for this species must be severely
curtailed. In recent years, the Pacific Fishery Management
Council has set yelloweye rockfish harvest levels for all
commercial, recreational, and tribal fisheries combined for
California, Oregon, and Washington of about 17 metric tons (mt).
This number includes yelloweye rockfish that are discarded at
sea.
The Washington recreational harvest target
is about 2.7 mt (fewer than 1,000 fish) in coastal waters. To
put this in perspective, in 2001, the Washington recreational
fishery harvested 15 mt.
Halibut Fishery
in Jeopardy
Yelloweye rockfish, in general, are harvested during the
Washington recreational halibut fishery. If the yelloweye
rockfish catch is projected to exceed 2.7 mt, then Pacific ocean
waters adjacent to Washington outside 25 fathoms will be closed
to recreational bottomfish fishing (including halibut).
If yelloweye rockfish cannot be avoided when anglers are
targeting halibut, then we may have to close recreational
halibut fishing in the future to protect yelloweye rockfish.
Because the yelloweye rockfish stock may not be rebuilt for over
100 years, the problem of managing the yelloweye fishery will
continue through our lifetime; however, you have the ability to
help save the halibut fishery now and preserve the yelloweye
resource for the future.
Yelloweye Rockfish
Facts:
Live to be 120 years old
Range extends from Mexico to Alaska
Found in deeper, rocky bottom areas
Slow growing,low productive species
Reddish-orange in color with bright yelloweye
Commonly called "red snapper"
Often spend their entire lifetime on one rockpile
How You Can Help
If you are participating in the recreational halibut or
bottomfish fishery, please avoid areas that are known to
have yelloweye rockfish.
If you do accidentally catch a yelloweye, please return
to the water s soon as possible.
Help spread the word to others about the severity of the
yelloweye rockfish depleted population and the possible
consequences of not avoiding yelloweye areas
If you do not know what areas may have yelloweye
rockfish, please consult a local resort, motel, or charter
office or other expert before fishing
