Jerry
Thanks for the link. Here's Commissioner Mahnken's draft policy proposal.
FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION
C-3617 – D R A F T; Feb. 2, 2008 Page 1 of 2
D R A F T POLICY DECISION
POLICY TITLE: Mainstem Columbia River POLICY NUMBER: C-3617
Spring Chinook Management and
Allocation for Non-Indian Fisheries, 2008
Supersedes: C-3615 Effective Date: ___________, 2008
Termination Date: December 31, 2008
See Also: Approved by:_____________________, Chair
Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission
Guiding Principles
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The Department serves as the trustee of this public resource and as such is responsible and accountable for sustainable fisheries.
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Conservation and recovery are the highest priorities and will take precedence in managing the resource.
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The Department will comply with the provisions of the U.S. v Oregon Management Agreement for upriver spring Chinook.
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Tradeoffs between current harvest benefits and long-term stock well-being will be resolved in favor of the long-term stock well-being.
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The Department must be consistent with prescribed recovery measures in National Marine Fisheries Service Biological Opinions, and safeguard the health and viability of all salmon stocks as a precondition for harvest.
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Manage harvest to meet hatchery goals.
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The Department must meet conservation requirements for wild spring Chinook and wild winter steelhead, including populations listed under the federal Endangered Species Act.
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The Department will manage harvest consistent with the applicable recovery management objectives.
Selective Fishery and Enforcement Guidelines
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All fishers will comply with selective fisheries rules and standards.
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The Department will continue to make improvements in the selectivity of recreational and commercial fishery gear through research and feasibility studies.
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The Department will develop and implement a strategy for public communications and outreach on compliance issues.
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The Department will continue to pursue strategies to enhance enforcement efforts and successful prosecution through the use of observer programs, increased enforcement presence, and cooperative work with local prosecutors.
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The Commission expects recreational and commercial fishing sectors to demonstrate responsibility for continuous learning and skills development for selective harvest practices.
C-3617 – D R A F T; Feb. 2, 2008 Page 2 of 2
Stakeholders Visioning Process
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The Commission supports the Stakeholder Group process in 2008 to assist in development of policy recommendations for 2009 and beyond.
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The Commission recommends the Stakeholder Group to provide incentives for sectors that reduce release mortalities.
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The Commission recommends the Stakeholder Group to include stronger penalties for those fishers that have repeat violations of selective fishery rules.
Fisheries Management Objectives
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The Department will manage the mainstem Columbia River spring Chinook fisheries to limit the wild winter steelhead impact to less than 2%.
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The Department will exercise in-season management flexibility to utilize the non-Indian upriver spring Chinook impact allocation to meet the objectives of both fisheries, i.e., upriver impact sharing adjustments in response to in-season information pertaining to catch and run size.
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Adjustments to the sport fishery may occur in-season if it is estimated the fishery will not continue through April. In-season adjustments may include such options as days/week and area closures.
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The Department will recognize the economic benefits of recreational and commercial fisheries in the Columbia River.
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The Department will provide for sport fisheries throughout the Columbia River downstream of McNary Dam, sport/tribal fisheries in the Snake River and upper Columbia River, and commercial and sport fisheries in select areas.
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The Department will ensure broad geographic distribution of the sport fishing opportunity in the main-stem Columbia River.
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Harvestable Lower Columbia River spring Chinook should provide opportunity to areas below the Willamette River.
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Extend sportfishing opportunity as far into April as possible downstream of Bonneville Dam.
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Utilize days of the week as a management tool.
Allocation of Upriver Spring Chinook Impacts The Director shall manage Columbia River non-Indian spring Chinook fisheries that are covered by the allowable ESA upriver impact rate (currently 2%) based on the following allocation guidelines. The recreational fishery allocation should be 65% of the allowable impact rate with the remainder to the commercial fishery.
Delegation of Authority The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission delegates the authority to the Director, through the Columbia River Compact process, to set seasons for sport and commercial fisheries in the Columbia River, and to adopt permanent and emergency regulations to implement these fisheries
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