State is again asking for input on Salmon seasons.

Have questions about Saltwater areas, boats, gear or techniques? This is the place for them.
Forum rules
Forum Post Guidelines: This Forum is rated “Family Friendly”. Civil discussions are encouraged and welcomed. Name calling, negative, harassing, or threatening comments will be removed and may result in suspension or IP Ban without notice. Please refer to the Terms of Service and Forum Guidelines post for more information. Thank you
Post Reply
User avatar
Bodofish
Vice Admiral Three Stars
Posts: 5407
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 12:59 pm
Location: Woodinville
Contact:

State is again asking for input on Salmon seasons.

Post by Bodofish » Sat Feb 17, 2018 12:48 am

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/
February 16, 2018
Contact: Kyle Adicks, 360-902-2664
Public can participate in 2018 salmon season-setting process, rule simplification
OLYMPIA – State fishery managers have scheduled a variety of opportunities for the public to participate in setting salmon fishing seasons for 2018, beginning at the annual salmon forecast meeting Feb. 27.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will present initial forecasts compiled by state and tribal biologists of the 2018 salmon returns at the meeting scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Lacey Community Center, 6729 Pacific Ave. S.E., Olympia.
That meeting is one of more than 20 scheduled at various locations around the state as part of each year's salmon negotiations. A list of the meetings scheduled in 2018 can be found online at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/northfalcon/
State fishery managers will be relying on input from anglers, commercial fishers and others interested in salmon as they work to develop this year's fisheries, said Ron Warren, head of WDFW's fish program.
Additionally, fishery managers plan to discuss with the public ways to simplify salmon-fishing regulations, said Warren. Over the last two years, WDFW has been working to simplify regulations after hearing from the public that the state's fishing rules are too complex.
"It's really important for us to hear what the public has to say about salmon fisheries," Warren said. "I encourage people to get involved and share their ideas on fishing opportunities and ways we can simplify the rules for anglers."
In addition to attending meetings, other ways the public can participate include:
• Online comments: The public can provide comments on fisheries and rule simplification through an online commenting tool as salmon seasons are developed. The online tool will be available in the coming weeks on WDFW's website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/northfalcon/
• Plenary session: This year, the co-managers have agreed to invite the public to an informal discussion, which is tentatively scheduled to follow a state-tribal negotiating session in early April. Meeting information will be posted on the website listed above.
• Conference calls and daily briefings: During the final days of negotiations, state fish managers will hold multiple briefings each day with the public as well as conference calls with constituents who can't attend.
State salmon managers scheduled these opportunities under guidance from the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, a citizen panel appointed by the governor that sets policy for WDFW. Commissioners have instructed WDFW staff to continue to work with their tribal co-managers to make the season-setting process as transparent as possible.
The annual process of setting salmon fishing seasons is called "North of Falcon" and is held in conjunction with public meetings conducted by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC). The council is responsible for establishing fishing seasons in ocean water three to 200 miles off the Pacific coast.
The PFMC is expected to adopt final ocean fishing seasons and harvest levels at its April 6-11 meeting in Portland, Ore. The 2018 salmon fisheries package for Washington's inside waters is expected to be completed by the state and tribal co-managers during the PFMC's April meeting.
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/reason ... quest.html.
________________________________________
This message has been sent to the WDFW News Releases & Weekender 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
Build a man a fire and he's warm for the night. Light a man on fire and he's warm the rest of his life!

User avatar
Larry3215
Admiral
Posts: 1870
Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2012 7:02 pm

Re: State is again asking for input on Salmon seasons.

Post by Larry3215 » Sat Feb 17, 2018 8:30 am

This is a good step in the right direction - and I want to thank you for all your work in helping bring it about!

At the same time, Im having a hard time getting real excited about it. The returns are desperately low, and all indications are they will continue to get even worse for the foreseeable future.

Between the commercial interests paying off politicians, and the current federal administration actively trying to give away and stop protecting our natural resources in favor of big business, and the impact of continuing population growth and urban spread, I see little to no hope of improvement any time soon - if ever.

Us being allowed in to these meetings is a good thing, but it amounts to fighting over scraps that will likely, all too soon, be gone forever.

This is never going to happen, but I think that instead of fighting to be allowed to catch one or two fish in micro seasons, we should be fighting to stop ALL fishing. Especially commercial and large scale tribal fishing, until the runs bounce way back from where they are.

User avatar
Bodofish
Vice Admiral Three Stars
Posts: 5407
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 12:59 pm
Location: Woodinville
Contact:

Re: State is again asking for input on Salmon seasons.

Post by Bodofish » Sat Feb 17, 2018 10:54 am

First step, Unsworth gone.
Build a man a fire and he's warm for the night. Light a man on fire and he's warm the rest of his life!

FishAddict
Petty Officer
Posts: 31
Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2017 4:24 am

Re: State is again asking for input on Salmon seasons.

Post by FishAddict » Tue Feb 20, 2018 4:52 am

Keep in mind this does not only effect salmon but also any fishery which "may" encounter salmon.

I understand many feel this is futile however my voice will be heard because it's the least that I can do.

Post Reply