https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/management/north-falcon/summaries

Not the best w/ more restrictions this season. Hopefully the Virus issues will subside by then to provide any opportunity at all.

Those are last years seasons, 2019 & 2020.
They haven’t posted the 2020 and 2021 agreed upon seasons yet.
SF

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: WDFW Public Affairs <do.not.reply@dfw.wa.gov>
Date: Fri, Apr 10, 2020 at 5:00 PM
Subject: WDFW News Release: Washington's salmon seasons tentatively set for 2020-21


WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
1111 Washington St. SE, Olympia, WA 98501
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

April 10, 2020
Contact: Kyle Adicks, 360-902-2664
Media inquiries: Ben Anderson, 360-480-4465

Washington's salmon seasons tentatively set for 2020-21

OLYMPIA – Continued low returns of some key Chinook salmon stocks are expected to limit numerous Washington salmon fisheries in the upcoming season, state fishery managers announced today.

The state's 2020-21 salmon fishing seasons, developed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and treaty tribal co-managers, were tentatively set today during the Pacific Fishery Management Council's (PFMC) meeting, which was held via webinar due to concerns related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"These seasons were determined with the goal of meeting conservation objectives while offering opportunities whenever possible, but we had some tough decisions to make this year," said WDFW Director Kelly Susewind. "We appreciate the hard work of co-managers and everyone else who sat through long teleconferences and webinars to determine these seasons."

"This was another difficult year with so many depressed stocks as a result of lost and damaged habitat," said Lorraine Loomis, Chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. "I am especially encouraged by efforts this year to include habitat recovery in fisheries planning. Salmon continue to decline because their habitat is being lost faster than it can be restored and protected. Working together to change that trend is the most important thing we can do for salmon recovery."

Season recommendations now move forward for approval by the National Marine Fisheries Service and final rulemaking, including additional opportunity for public comment and consideration of those comments.

Puget Sound

Low returns of Stillaguamish and mid-Hood Canal Chinook, as well as Snohomish coho limited a number of Puget Sound fisheries in 2019, and created even greater constraints in 2020. That includes closing fishing for winter Chinook in East Juan De Fuca Strait (Marine Area 6), the San Juan Islands (Marine Area 7), Deception Pass and Port Gardner (areas 8-1 and 8-2), Admiralty Inlet (Marine Area 9), Tacoma-Vashon Island (Marine Area 11) and Hood Canal (Marine Area 12), with some exceptions for Chinook non-retention in Hood Canal in November and December. Summer seasons in Deception Pass and Port Gardner are also closed to protect coho.

Susewind said the department recognizes that many of these fisheries have seen continued declines in opportunity in recent years.

"This is never the outcome we hope for, but until these stocks rebound, this is an unfortunate reality," Susewind said. "We continue working alongside the public and tribal, state, and federal partners to address all the factors impacting these critical runs."

This summer, Chinook fisheries are expected to be largely similar to last year, with most Puget Sound marine areas opening for Chinook retention beginning in July or August. Summer Chinook fisheries are expected to begin July 1 in marine areas 5, 6, 7, and 11.

Columbia River

The summer salmon fishery will again be closed to summer Chinook retention (including jacks), though stronger forecasts allow for sockeye retention in 2020, a change from last year. That fishery will need to be closely monitored in-season if returns come in lower than expected, said Kyle Adicks, salmon fisheries policy lead for WDFW.

Fall Chinook fisheries will be open under various regulations. Waters from Buoy 10 upstream to the Puget Island will be open Aug. 16-27 for Chinook, and will remain open for coho afterwards. Most of the waters upstream will open Aug. 1, but Warrior Rock to Bonneville Dam will open Fri., Sat., and Sun. from Aug. 7 through Sept. 6.

Steelhead fisheries in the Columbia and Snake rivers this season will again be very limited and additional protective measures will be in place due to continued low returns of steelhead.

Washington's ocean waters

Initial ocean fisheries reflect a reduced coho quota due to significantly lower projected returns in 2020. All four of Washington's marine areas are scheduled to open June 20 for a Chinook-only fishery, then transition to a Chinook and coho fishery beginning June 29. Daily limits and days of the week open to salmon fishing vary between areas.

More information

COVID-19 remains a factor going into the upcoming summer and fall fishing seasons, with the potential to continue impacting fisheries as the year continues, said WDFW Director Susewind. Many of the conversations during this week's PFMC meeting included consideration of ongoing coronavirus impacts.

"The coronavirus remains the biggest unknown as we move ahead in the 2020 and 2021 fishing seasons," Susewind said. As with every aspect of life these days, we'll have to be flexible to respond to any public health concerns."

Additional information about this year's sport salmon fisheries and the North of Falcon process can be found on WDFW's website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/nof.

For information on tribal fisheries, contact the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (http://nwifc.org).

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is the primary state agency tasked with preserving, protecting, and perpetuating fish, wildlife, and ecosystems, while providing sustainable fishing, hunting, and other recreation opportunities.



Persons with disabilities who need to receive this information in an alternative format or who need reasonable accommodations to participate in WDFW-sponsored public meetings or other activities may contact Dolores Noyes by phone (360-902-2349), TTY (360-902-2207), or email (dolores.noyes@dfw.wa.gov). For more information, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/accessibility/reasonable_request.html.

This message has been sent to the WDFW All Information mailing list.
Visit the WDFW News Release Archive at: http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/
To UNSUBSCRIBE from this mailing list: http://wdfw.wa.gov/lists/unsubscribe.html

My bad! When will these be officially posted?

Not sure. Still not on their website this morning.
Keep checking back on the link you posted.

Funny how you can get a good summary on various websites nearly immediately after the seasons are agreed upon yet it takes WDFW way longer to post it on their own site.
SF

The new website and corresponding internal controls now make it a bureaucratic process to post something whereas previously a manager (for example, Shellfish Manager) could make the posting.

So in other words, another great step in the right direction for WDFW getting info out in a timely manner.
I personally think the new website sucks.
SF

Got an email from CCA this AM. They say that winter Blackmouth is completely closed apparently forever. I started fishing Blackmouth when I moved to Seattle in 1980 and really enjoyed it but its done.

I sold my 2005 Seahawk last summer. That was my third boat since I moved to Seattle. Great boat but around here there just didnt seem to be any reason to own it anymore. I might go out on a charter now and then.

Text of CCA email:




The annual salmon fishing season-setting process known as “North of Falcon” has once again gone south for anglers. While there may be some modest increases to a few Puget Sound fisheries this summer, WDFW has agreed to drastic new cuts, including the complete closure of the winter Blackmouth fishery. Columbia River fisheries will also see reductions under the proposal.

While we can expect the usual co-manager spin about how the closures were based on “conservation” and “mutual sacrifice” and will likely place blame on factors like lost and damaged habitat, the true culprit of the Puget Sound reductions is WDFW’s acceptance of arbitrary, one-sided policies demanded by Puget Sound treaty tribes. If left in place, these policies will drastically curtail Puget Sound recreational fisheries for years to come.

Puget Sound Winter Blackmouth Fishery Eliminated
In a historic new low, the popular winter Blackmouth Chinook fishery will be closed across northern Puget Sound’s areas 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12. This unique fishery has provided much-needed winter fishing opportunity through mark-selective fisheries focused on hatchery Chinook with minimal impacts to ESA-listed wild Chinook.

WDFW’s elimination of the winter Blackmouth fishery was driven by a new 12% exploitation rate limit on fin-clipped Stillaguamish hatchery Chinook agreed to by WDFW as part of a 10-year state-tribal Puget Sound Chinook Harvest Management Plan (PSCHMP). WDFW had options to avoid this crippling new constraint, including simply not marking Chinook from this conservation hatchery program. CCA Washington sent a letter to WDFW back in 2018 warning of the consequences of this arbitrary policy. George Harris, President of the Northwest Marine Trade Association, addressed this troubling provision in remarks before the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission earlier this year. WDFW ignored these warnings.

It is now clear that this arbitrary policy is not about conservation. In fact, under the agreement this season, two tribal fisheries with relatively high impacts on Stillaguamish hatchery chinook are expected to match or exceed their recent average harvest levels. What’s worse, according to one analysis the complete closure of the winter Blackmouth fishery won’t increase the escapement of wild or hatchery Chinook to the Stillaguamish.

Limiting Anglers’ Access to Hatchery Chinook, Greater Inequity in Puget Sound Harvest Sharing
Puget Sound sport fisheries were already constrained by weak “wild” ESA-listed Chinook populations. Through the adoption of mark-selective fisheries, we’ve reduced our mortalities to these ESA-listed stocks, only to have these conservation savings absorbed by tribal fisheries.

The restriction on Stillaguamish hatchery Chinook is a powerful tool for limiting sport fisheries’ access to hatchery Chinook across northern Puget Sound. Is it any surprise that tribal gillnet fisheries will reap the benefit? In fact, according to WDFW data, the overall tribal share of available Chinook is expected to increase from 56% in 2019 to at least 62% in 2020. Left unchanged, you can expect this inequity to increase as recent hatchery production increases begin returning to Puget Sound and recreational anglers are forced to sit on the banks.

Columbia River Fisheries
Columbia River fisheries will also see reductions under the North of Falcon agreement. Our popular Buoy 10 fishery will see the largest reduction, going from a 20-day fishery in 2019 to just 12 days in 2020. The rest of the lower Columbia River will see limited fishing opportunity during the peak of the run.

CCA is also monitoring the continued closure of recreational fisheries in Washington under Governor Inslee’s stay home order. We will keep you posted on any developments there and with additional analysis from North of Falcon.

Thank you,
CCA Washington

So this is the best WDFW could come up with to post on their website about the seasons?
SF

https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/management/north-falcon/summaries#puget-sound

There seems to be a discrepancy between the Outdoor Line and WDFW fishery summaries. Outdoor Line says that Area 12C (S. of Ayock) will have a minimum size limit of 20". WDFW doesn't mention that for Area 12, but says there is a 20" minimum size limit in Area 13 July through September. I wonder which is correct.

"The coronavirus remains the biggest unknown as we move ahead in the 2020 and 2021 fishing seasons," Susewind said. As with every aspect of life these days, we'll have to be flexible to respond to any public health concerns."

Not to be a conspiracy theorist - chuckle - but count me as unsurprised when recreational fisheries that remain closed due to coronavirus shift unharvested salmon to "essential" counterpart commercial fishing.

WDFW, the state agency that bites the hand that feeds it, and gets away with it. A perfect crime?

"In fact, under the agreement this season, two tribal fisheries with relatively high impacts on Stillaguamish hatchery chinook are expected to match or exceed their recent average harvest levels."

"Is it any surprise that tribal gillnet fisheries will reap the benefit? In fact, according to WDFW data, the overall tribal share of available Chinook is expected to increase from 56% in 2019 to at least 62% in 2020."

Am I correct to assume these tribal gillnet fisheries will be estuary specific? Or, will a new tribal PS winter troll, or PS gillnet fishery develop with no rec. fishing going on?

Will they help us with our boat payments under the stimulus plan?

What other Hobbies are there where people spend so much money and get nothing in return except a good ARS FU$&ING?
Hundreds of Millions spent, helping local economies.... 50,000.00 boats, 30,000. trucks , thousands in gear, Gas, Lodging.....

What would this state look like if they managed the resources correctly?

Snowmobiles, race cars, hot rods, motocross, 4 wheeling, etc.

How do these examples compare?

then vote out the governor in November. Only possible way to get changes.

While I don't think Inslee is all that great, and not exactly a sporfisher friend...but what, exactly, do you think would be different with a different Governor?

Fish on...

Todd

Probably nothing will be different because all the special interest groups will crawl out of their holes and fill the next governors pockets too. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.

Until the Governor is granted Kingship over the treaty tribes, Canada, and Alaska, then he literally can do almost nothing at all that has any effect whatsoever on anything involving fishing for salmon or steelhead.

One thing the Governor could do, however, is push for and sign (if the Legislature sends them to him) laws that would greatly restrict any development, pollution, or activities in salmon-bearing watersheds...though I suspect the same folks that think he is the King who can change salmon seasons would call him a Fascist Dictator if he did.

Fish on...

Todd