I think the last half dozen posts missed this part...

.... the area between the blue line (current rec boundary) and the black line (new demarcation between Leadbetter and Marker 11) shall be CLOSED to rec fishing to protect depressed non-local and/or ESA-listed stocks which have been found to be impacted in appreciable numbers within this zone. The control zone shall be re-opened in-season when it is determined that these non-local stocks have moved thru and the overwhelming majority of salmon encounters in this zone are local WB-origin fish.

It was an eleventh hour surprise that was dropped on the committee just prior to the final PFMC week.

Original discussion was about simply re-drawing the boundary between the ocean (MA 2) and WB( MA2-1)..... essentially expanding the recreational ocean area and shrinking the bay. Options were to draw demarcation lines from Leadbetter Point north to:

1) the jetty (existing comm boundary)
2) marker 11
3) marker 13
4) marker 15
5) Toke Point

In the end, WDFW chose to preserve the existing rec boundary, but also create a small "control zone" with a second demarcation thru marker 11 as pictured.

Said control zone could be turned on when non-local depressed/ESA stocks are present in significant numbers, and turned off when they are not. The idea here is to ensure that the WB fishery remains directed at local (WB-origin) stock.

NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS....

...

In that sense, this is a UNIQUE rationale for creating a control zone. Typically these CZ's have been created to prevent the ocean from taking depressed local stocks as they make their way into the estuary.... as in the GH control zone for chinook. In this case, the WB control zone is being invoked to minimize the bay fishery's encounters with non-local ESA-listed CR stock which was NOT previously being accounted for.
_________________________
"Let every angler who loves to fish think what it would mean to him to find the fish were gone." (Zane Grey)

"If you don't kill them, they will spawn." (Carcassman)


The Keen Eye MD
Long Live the Kings!