Puget Sound Anglers

Welcome to the Puget Sound Anglers

Home  About Us  Fishing   Politics  Conservation  PhotosContact Us 

Chapter Information

State Board Information

Sponsors

Calendar for October

5 South Sound General Meeting   

4 Whidbey Island General Meeting

11 North Kitsap General Meeting

11 Gig Harbor General Meeting 

 

11 Renton General Meeting 

 

11 Sno-King General Meeting

19 Everett General Meeting

19 Bellingham General Meeting

19 Fidalgo - San Juan Islands General  Meetin

?? North Olympic Peninsula General Meeting

?? South King County No General Meeting

?? Eastside General Meeting

25 Save Our Fish

Ocean Anglers General Meeting  

 

 

 

 

Check us out Facebook  Puget Sound Anglers on Facebook  

Presidents Message for October

We had great ocean conditions that contributed to the high salmon returns. A letter that was sent to the WDFW commission by Wild Fish Conservancy trying to undo our two years of working together with diverse leaders of groups to save our precious Southern Resident Killer Whale Orcas on the Governor’s Orca Task Force, which I was a member. Through the task force we agreed to make more hatchery fish to feed the Orcas. It took our relationship with our tribes to have them step in and back us up to get this across the finish line, which was the add of 50 million Chinook. This was endors1d and passed by our previous WDFW Commissioners.  

 

A letter that Wild Fish Conservancy has sent to the new Commissioners this quote:

“Hatcheries have existed since 1895. Has WDFW and WFWC factored in the ongoing and steady decline in hatchery and wild chinook salmon size on the species and their environment in their SRKW Hatchery Prey Initiative? If hatcheries are effective in recovering declining wild populations, why are returning adult salmon (particularly Chinook) still declining? Similarly, if hatcheries are an effective tool, why is the SRKW population still declining?”

 

All that I can say is WOW! You are proving our point exactly. The Natural Origin Chinook (not going to call them wild as there are no wild chinook in Washington state anymore, only mixed stock fisheries because of the massive hatchery production over the last 100+ years), is because we have taken away the habitat that used to support these fish. Everywhere you look are new buildings going up. 

1.     We have removed the estuaries that used to provide for the original wild fish. They are now dirt. Farms, businesses, roads, houses, mining, etc. have replaced the habitat where they used to be.

2.     An unprecedented survey has revealed the loss of about 85 percent of historical tidal wetlands in California, Oregon, and Washington. 

3.     The biggest clear cuts in the US were done in Washington State. From Bellingham to the Columbia River. This loss of quality habitat has caused erosion and silt to be constantly flushed into the streams.

4.     We cut hatchery production by 163 million Chinook and Coho yearly from 1992-2016. The natural spawners have declined even more since this started. I want to say about 5-6 years ago it was another 42% loss of these natural spawners. 99% of the natural spawner fish eggs are being washed down the river. How is that the hatchery fish’s fault? It’s not!

We need to fight the hatchery haters before we lose what is left. Just think had we not worked to feed the orcas with extra hatchery fish, the massive returns you see right now might not have happened.  We had great ocean conditions coming off the “blob” that has let these fish survive and return. Now we are gong into El Nino, this is the time for massive hatchery production so we do get some fish back to keep the Orcas fed and us fishing. Join your local PSA Chapter as we continue to fight for the fish, you kids and grandkids.  

 

Ron Garner President PSA    

Point Nopoint Fiasco

Pod cast on Ocra Whales with Butch Smith from Coho Charters   

Article on Salmon and Damvs    

Protecting Washington’s Yelloweye Rockfish

Rockfish Identification Flyer    

Video - Rockfish are back!!

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

Great rockfish recompression video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiZFghwVOyI

 

 RFA Washington

 

PSA State Board Meeting

Saturday


October 7th

December 9th

 

Start Time is 9:00am

Port Of Edmonds Administration Office rear of building at the top of stairs

336 Admiral Way

Edmonds, WA 98020

 

Future meetings

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif

Advertise with us!

 

Home About Us Fishing Politics Conservation Photos Contact Us

 

 

snafu