Update on the Willapa from District 17 Kirt Hughes but I could not get the week calander to come with it.


All – as a follow-up to yesterday’s email below, I wanted to provide the Willapa Bay planning model with resulting output used to evaluate the proposed schedule for Willapa Bay commercial salmon fisheries. As with yesterday’s email, please be aware I have blind copied the Willapa Bay Advisors and others who had provided their email and an interest in Willapa Bay during the 2014 North of Falcon process.


There was substantial deliberation and consideration of input and comment received through the NOF process that went into developing the proposed schedule, below are some of the rational. Please remember that there is still an opportunity for written and verbal testimony from the public on the proposal. The written comment period is open now and comments must be received by June 24th; email and mailing address are included at the very bottom of yesterday’s email below. The public hearing to provide verbal testimony is scheduled for June 24th at the Region 6 Fish and Wildlife Headquarters in Montesano from 10am – noon in the large conference room (48 Devonshire Road in Montesano).


• The proposed schedule is a blend of 4 different models presented to advisors and the public prior to the final advisor meeting and the public meeting on April 4.


• It meets natural origin management objectives for Chinook, coho, and chum, including the reduced 20% harvest rate on Naselle natural origin Chinook.


• This schedule continues to require the release of unmarked Chinook in all fisheries as stated in our management objectives.


• This schedule continues to require the release of chum in all fisheries as stated in our management objectives.


• Provides closures of areas 2M, 2R and 2P through September 15 to protect Naselle natural-origin Chinook as stated in our management objectives.


• Provides a larger closure around North River and Smith Creek to protect natural-origin Chinook in those streams to meet our management objective and some of the extra protection identified by the recreational sector.


• Reserves a small percentage (0.4% of the overall 20%) of the Naselle natural-origin mortality impact for potential new selective gears that might be developed, e.g. beach seines or trap nets.


• Provides a 3.5 day summer fishery as requested by the commercial sector. We propose moving the summer fishery a week early (week beginning August 3) to allow a greater build-up of Chinook in the bay for the recreational sector and reduce the probability of encountering local stocks, including North River/Smith Creek Chinook which were identified by the recreational sector as needing extra protection.


• Provides, to the extent practicable within other constraints, commercial openings are timed to coincide with tides preferred by commercial sector and often less desirable to sport fishers. It also provides a minimum of overlap with potential days of commercial fishing in the Columbia River during the mid- to late-August.


• Except during the summer fishery (prior to August 15, specifically August 7 at 6PM), keeps area 2T closed until September 16th as requested by the recreational sector.


• Except during the weeks beginning October 5 and November 9, provides 2-3 days without commercial fishing during each week to allow additional natural-origin spawners upstream, as well as additional hatchery and natural origin fish for the freshwater recreational sector. Note that these windows are not consecutive days as provided for in the Grays Harbor Policy.


• Results in an ex-vessel value of $594K versus an ex-vessel value of $705K if we used the 2013 seasons. These are relative values because there is very small number of unmarked hatchery fish included in the calculations that the commercial sector would be required to release.


• Provides the recreational sector with 38% of the Chinook harvest and 22% of the Coho harvest. This compares to the average from 2003-2012 of 34% of the Chinook and 10% of the Coho.

Finally, on a calendar this schedule look like this:


Edited by Rivrguy (05/22/14 01:46 PM)
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Dazed and confused.............the fog is closing in