The virus concerns are a major component this year and why the Puget Sound fishery went to every other day. The original schedule for Puget Sound was for 33 days of fishing on a Thursday/Saturday schedule starting April 16 for MAs 6-10 and Sekiu was scheduled to open with the ocean fishery.

With the virus shutdown and anticipating an opening after May 5, the schedule was going to be adjusted to Thursday/Sunday and MA 5 was brought back into Puget Sound. Four days per week were to make up for lost days if the fishery could have opened around the 14th. County health concerns resulted in the every other day schedule to hopefully reduce the expected influx of out of area anglers. On the NOP, we're hoping that appropriate distancing and masking protocols are followed by everyone.

Additionally, there is the monitoring of the fishery. By going to every other day, the creel check crews can spread out their work week. The season will end when the qouta is reached or June 29. WDFW sampling protocols are such that the Dept won't overlap a salmon and halibut season.

The ocean fishery is still up in the air. Odds are that it most likely will happen in August or September after the coastal salmon season is closed. Discussions are on-going about opening the ocean bottomfish fishery.