Plunk

This is all I could find. It appears that they would have to abide by local state laws unless the two states wanted to change any specific rule.

RCW 77.75.010
Columbia River Compact -- Provisions.
There exists between the states of Washington and Oregon a definite compact and agreement as follows:

All laws and regulations now existing or which may be necessary for regulating, protecting or preserving fish in the waters of the Columbia river, or its tributaries, over which the states of Washington and Oregon have concurrent jurisdiction, or which would be affected by said concurrent jurisdiction, shall be made, changed, altered and amended in whole or in part, only with the mutual consent and approbation of both states.

RCW 77.75.020
Columbia River Compact -- Commission to represent state.
The commission may give to the state of Oregon such consent and approbation of the state of Washington as is necessary under the compact set out in RCW 77.75.010. For the purposes of RCW 77.75.010, the states of Washington and Oregon have concurrent jurisdiction in the concurrent waters of the Columbia river.

This comes from the "THE PACIFIC MARINE FISHERIES COMPACT" and it include both Oregon and Washington.

"…The commission shall have power to recommend the coordination of the exercise of the police powers of the several states within their respective jurisdictions and said conservation zones to promote the preservation of those fisheries and their protection against overfishing, waste, depletion or any abuse whatsoever and to assure a continuing yield from the fisheries resources of the signatory parties hereto.

To that end the commission shall draft and, after consultation with the advisory committee hereinafter authorized, recommend to the governors and legislative branches of the various signatory states hereto legislation dealing with the conservation of the marine, shell and anadromous fisheries in all of those areas of the Pacific Ocean and adjacent waters over which the signatory states jointly or separately now have or may hereafter acquire jurisdiction. The commission shall, more than one month prior to any regular meeting of the legislative branch in any state signatory hereto, present to the governor of such state its recommendations relating to enactments by the legislative branch of that state in furthering the intents and purposes of this compact.

The commission shall consult with and advise the pertinent administrative agencies in the signatory states with regard to problems connected with the fisheries and recommend the adoption of such regulations as it deems advisable and which lie within the jurisdiction of such agencies."

If this is true, then the "commission" could apply the rules at any time that the commission felt necessary to do so.

I would image that NOAA could also put observers on at any time, or they could shut down the fishery completely.


Cowlitzfisherman