***URGENT! Public meeting targets Columbia River fishing issues
Date: 10/6/2005 6:55:12 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: NSIALIZ
To: NSIALIZ



The staff of ODF&W and WDF&W have announced that they want the Commission(s) to set up five year sharing agreements between the sportfishers and gillnetters in the Columbia. (Spring Chinook, Summer Chinook, Fall Chinook and Sturgeon) In addition, WDF&W appears to be intent on raising the steelhead bycatch issue again. In other words, they are once again asking the commission to raise the take of wild steelhead in the gillnet fishery so the commercials can harvest more spring chinook.



These could mean 5 year sharing sport/gillnet sharing agreements like this year that is put sportfishers on the beach watching commercials fish, causing economic disruption and decreasing license revenues to the agencies. This is just one of a handful of meetings that you need to be at to make your voice heard. The current sharing arrangements are not equitable, and they are not working. Working together, we can get things back on track. NSIA Staff and Board members hope to see you there.







NEWS RELEASE

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

October 6, 2005

Contact: Cindy LeFleur (360) 906-6708



Public meeting targets Columbia River fishing issues
OLYMPIA – Columbia River fish allocations will be the focus of a public meeting Oct. 12 in Vancouver, Wash., hosted by the Washington and Oregon fish and wildlife departments.



Washington and Oregon fish and wildlife commissions will decide in December and January how to split up salmon and sturgeon between recreational and commercial interests for the next several years. Wednesday’s meeting will allow people to learn about, and comment on, the issues.



“We want to give the public a chance to be well informed and provide input before we go to the commission,” said Cindy LeFleur, Columbia River policy coordinator for Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. “There are so many Columbia River issues, we wanted to wrap them all together.”



Wednesday’s public meeting will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Water Resources Education Center, 4600 SE Columbia Way.



The Washington and Oregon commissions, citizen panels that establish policy for the fish and wildlife departments, will be briefed on the topics during a joint meeting Nov. 3. No public testimony will be taken at that meeting.



In early December, each commission will decide on commercial and recreational allocations for summer chinook salmon, fall chinook salmon and sturgeon. The Washington meeting will be Dec. 2-3 in Olympia.



In January, the commissions will approve allocations for spring chinook and consider wild winter steelhead impacts in Columbia River spring chinook fisheries. There will be public comment periods during the regular commission meetings.