Comment period extended on gene bank
options for wild Columbia River steelhead


OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has extended its public comment period on two options for establishing a wild steelhead gene bank in rivers or streams near the mouth of the Columbia River.

WDFW will now consider comments on those options submitted through Feb. 26 to TeamVancouver@dfw.wa.gov. Background information on the two sites is posted on WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/fisheries/steelhead/gene_bank/columbia_river/

Both options under consideration by the department would support the preservation of wild steelhead populations by prohibiting future releases of hatchery-raised steelhead into specific waters of the lower Columbia River Basin.

One option would eliminate production of hatchery winter steelhead on the Grays and Chinook rivers. The other would prohibit production of hatchery steelhead on Mill, Abernathy and Germany creeks.

The proposed gene bank in the coastal area is the last of four steelhead gene banks currently scheduled in tributaries to the lower Columbia River. The others were established in 2014 on the East Fork Lewis, the North Fork Toutle/Green, and Wind rivers.

Oregon, Idaho and California will become the mecca for winter steelhead fishing in the next decade. Who'da thunk?

It does not matter what the public comments are, they are already had their minds made up on the Gene Banks streams at the last meeting, Public said Coweeman they still picked Green.

Big joke..........Good luck,

SZ

Retired up here 19 years ago with my bride as she wanted to return home! Thought it would be fishing heaven Boy was I surprised!

What model is that? The one where they stock exotic species into habitats where they can out-compete the native stocks?

you mean like chambers and skamania steelhead

At least with that model, the people who pay for the management get to reap the benefits.

I don't necessarily agree with the "Bass and Walleye" model but if we are going to a "user pays" mentality then we need to seriously deal with AK and BC.

Using this model can we put scent on our bugs?

On my first trip to Ak I met Tony Floor who was still working for WDFW and got a free trip to the lodge by bringing three writers with him. I was so [Bleeeeep!] pissed I couldn't even talk to the SOB. And when the owner of the Lodge told me that it was his third trip up that year I damn near lost my [Bleeeeep!] mind!!!

So yea WDFW needs somewhere to catch salmon too so why would they go after Ak and BC??

No, I was alluding to the spiny ray species. As far as I know, Chambers Ck steelhead are so domesticated that they haven't out-competed any native wild stock. In fact, they imploded, and the stock failed to maintain itself in its namesake stream, Chambers Creek. And that was with hatchery support. Skamania fish are of another stripe. I think they can compete effectively with some native stocks, but I don't know that they have out-competed and displaced any.

Sg

I see no problem, just don't stock Germany or Mill or Chinook. Problem solved. We can continue to stock the gray and Abernathy. Nothing changes and we can call it all good.