WDFW FISHING RULE CHANGE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov

January 13, 2010

Green River to close to fishing

Action: Close the lower portion of the Green (Duwamish) River in King County to all fishing beginning Jan. 16 and the upper portion of the river beginning Feb. 1.

Species affected: All game fish species.

Location and effective closure dates:

The lower Green River from the 1st Ave. South Bridge in Seattle upstream to the South 277th Bridge in Auburn will be closed from Jan. 16, 2010, through June 4, 2010.

The upper Green River from the 277th Bridge in Auburn upstream to the Tacoma Headworks Dam will be closed from Feb. 1, 2010, through June 4, 2010.

Reason for action: To reduce incidental mortality of wild steelhead. The 2009-2010 forecast of wild steelhead returning to the Green River is only 458 fish, well below the spawning goal of 2,000 steelhead. This action will reduce the incidental hooking mortalities of wild steelhead.

Information contacts: Steve Foley, District 12 fish biologist, (425) 775-1311; Annette Hoffmann, Region 4 Fish Program manager, (425) 775-1311.

That blows.... Wanted to make at least one float in mid feb

Bummer......Might have to hit it one last time, before the colsure.

I'm sure the molestation club will fish it.

Bummer.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

i thought the same thing so I called the hotline. It's last message is from early December and states that there is no Tribal fishing allowed in the Green effective immeadiately until further notice.

So that begs the question....anyone see any nets in there this last month?

Not referring to the tribe. That other bunch of organized hoodlums that fish the nates when the river is closed. I think they go by enhancement club rather than molestation club.

A wild steelhead runsize forecast of only 458 fish. The escapement goal is 2,000. Is there a better alternative than closing the river to fishing?

Sg

No more brooders collected on the Green.

Which river is next is my question?

Agree! sad state of things.... 458 fish!

how do they forecast so exact anyway? why not 450 or 460 fish?

CD,

Insert weighted brood year spawner data into equation, hit "calculate." Out comes a number. It might have actually been 457.7648 and rounded up to 458.

RD,

A couple reasons. Intermittent ongoing discussions with the affected Treaty Tribe, Muckleshoot. If a hatchery winter run of consequence had shown up, the policy decision likely would have been that it's preferable to go ahead and prosecute the early winter season while hatchery steelhead are abundant. Since the hatchery fish have been largely a no-show in Puget Sound, there is little social or biological loss associated with the earlier closure, and a very slight biological gain to the wild run. And as always whenever a run doesn't show, or show well, a significant economic loss from less fishing activity.

Sg

I really struggle with the statistical justifications to continue harvest in the face of declining wild runs... esp on the front end of the run where the population has been so drastically cropped that every early-timed wild spawner should be allowed to get to the gravel.

I've seen WDFW justify those early openers by saying that's when the fishery is least likely to do harm because the odds of encountering a hatch fish are so much greater.

OK I buy it... but only on an individual basis. The odds of catching a wild fish on any given set or any given cast are VERY small. But since that is when participation in the fishery is greatest, the cumulative effect is that a significant number of early-timed wild fish will still be encountered. If the gear-type is not reasonably selective, the wild fish simply continue to be slaughtered.

It's a vicious cycle, the worse that part of the wild population declines, the worse they are hammered.

See why I struggle with the harvest logic?

bummer,
I have always had faith in that river holding on to a decent # of natives, 458 escapement is really depressing. Damn.

Could be worse...it could be last spring's numbers.

Run reconstruction puts the 08/09 Green River wild winter run escapement at 304 fish.

Fish on...

Todd

ouch.

Indeed.

Fish on...

Todd

Damn!

Welcome to the future....

Well said Salmo!

Yeah, here's a quick quiz:

Of these rivers, which made escapement for wild winter runs during the 08/09 season?

Skagit
Stillaguamish
Green
Puyallup
Quillayute
Hoh
Queets
Humptulips
Quinault
Chehalis

Any guesses?

Fish on...

Todd

NONE!