I sent the following note to Bob Leland, Bob Gibbons, and Lew Atkins yesterday. The gill net fishery for shad starts this afternoon at 3 p.m.
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I came across the following notice the other day and am curious about the issues surrounding the shad fishery, its value to the commercial and retail industry and the WDFW from the ex-vessel taxes, the use of shad for human consumption or fish meal for feed purposes, the action plans WDFW and ODFW might have to monitor/control the burgeoning shad population in the Columbia River so that native species aren’t impacted, and any plans to control the spread of shad beyond the Columbia River basin.

Also of interest to me and others is the impact of the gill net fishery on non-target species of native food and game fish including salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, and non-native game fish such as walleye and smallmouth bass. The notice says that live food and game fish must be returned to the water unharmed and implies that dead fish are also dumped back into the river. Can you tell me what the “by-catch” of food and game fish has been in the past? How will the fishery be monitored on the 23rd and 24th – how many boats will be checked and what is the criteria that will stop the shad fishery? Will the closure only be imposed if the take of Chinook is too high or will the incidental take of steelhead and other fishes also cause the shad fishery to be closed? Is there a quota/poundage for shad to be taken? Are there limits on soak times for the nets such as were in place for the earlier Chinook gill/tangle net fishery? Are the boats required to have live boxes for recovery of game/food fishes on board? How many boats will be fishing – with the potential for 18,000 square feet of net (900’ long x 20’ deep) per boat, there will be a lot of water swept during each 7 hour period.

With the depressed returns of salmonids this past year still fresh in our minds, I hope I’m not being a little paranoid in my concerns over the impact of another gill net fishery in a river and on a biomass that has plenty of problems from dams, terns, pinnipeds, and low water.

I’m looking forward to your reply.

Thanks in advance.

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Columbia River Compact
Joint State Action Notices
Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife

May 17, 2005

THE FOLLOWING COLUMBIA RIVER SEASONS WERE SET:

2005 NON-INDIAN AREA 2S COMMERCIAL SHAD FISHERY

DATES:
3 PM. - 10 PM. Daily

May 23-27 (5 days)
May 31-June 3 (4 days)
June 6-10 (5 days)
June 13-17 (5 days)
June 20-24 (5 days)

AREA:
True north/south line through Light #50 near the mouth of the Sandy River upstream to the commercial fishing boundary near Beacon Rock.

GEAR:
Single-wall, unslackened, floater gill net; 5 3/8" to 6 ¼" mesh size restrictions; 10-lb breaking strength; and the net may not exceed 150 fathoms in length nor 40 meshes in depth.

ALLOWABLE SALES:
Only shad may be kept and sold. All salmon, steelhead, walleye, and sturgeon must be immediately returned to the water and those alive must be returned to the water unharmed.

The fisheries will be monitored on the evenings of May 23 and May 24 to determine Chinook handle
Data collected during monitoring will determine whether or not fisheries proceed
Fishers are to be on alert that the Area 2S Chad fishery may close as early as Wednesday May 25 if the monitoring data shows Chinook handle is to high
The next compact will occur when needed


Call the hotline to get the current fishing season at 360-902-2500 or 360-696-6211 *1010.
Visit WDFW website at wdfw.wa.gov/fishcorn.htm for fact sheets, action notices and landings.