Introduction
	Commission Members
	Policy Documents
	Meeting Calendar
	Meeting Minutes
	Serving on the Commission
	Providing Public Input to the Commission

<<< back to Policies

POLICY DECISION

Lower Columbia Sturgeon Management Policies:

• Manage lower Columbia River sturgeon through a three-year agreement with Oregon, with the ability to reopen policy discussions if there is a substantial change to population abundance or significant new biological information.
• Provide adequate recruitment and regulatory protection to safeguard the broodstock population.
• Manage for optimal sustainable yield (OSY) by setting a combined sport and commercial harvest rate for the legal-sized population.
• Maintain concurrent Washington and Oregon regulations in the Columbia River.
• Maintain viable and diverse recreational and commercial fishing opportunities.
• The base period for determining viability and diversity for recreational opportunity among geographic areas should be calculated using recent years (e.g., 1995-2000).
• Manage sturgeon harvests outside the mainstem lower Columbia River consistent with lower Columbia River sturgeon conservation and management needs.
• Limit incidental impacts on other species needing conservation

Management objectives for 2006-2008:

• Manage for an annual combined sport and commercial harvest of white sturgeon to provide population growth towards OSY.
• Maintain the 80/20 sport/commercial harvest allocation.
• Develop sport fishery regulations consistent with the following objectives:
  • Minimize emergency in-season action;
  • Balance catch between estuary and non-estuary fisheries and maintain a diverse array of sturgeon fishing opportunity; and
  • Maintain fishery monitoring and management capabilities.
• Develop commercial fishery regulations consistent with the following objectives:
  • Optimize economic value (adjust to market needs);
  • Spread harvest opportunity throughout the year; and
  • No green sturgeon target fisheries.
• Provide sufficient sturgeon spawning sanctuaries or other protection measures where appropriate to ensure adequate recruitment to the population.
• Provide appropriate added protective measures to prevent further decline of green sturgeon.
• Conduct all practical research to assess broodstock abundance and to quantify impacts of commercial and recreational fisheries on broodstock abundance.
• Delegate negotiation and adoption authority to the Director for a new three-year (2006-2008) Lower Columbia Sturgeon Management Plan that is consistent with these policies and objectives.