April 11, 1997
Contact: Public Affairs, (360) 902-2250

• South Puget Sound for coho

• The Strait of Juan de Fuca for pink salmon

• Willapa Bay and its tributaries for chinook and coho

• Grays Harbor and several of its tributaries for chinook

Snake River fall chinook have been listed as "threatened" under the federal Endangered Species Act.

"We had to limit fishing in the ocean, Strait of Juan de Fuca and other marine areas where wild and hatchery salmon mix in order to maximize the number of native chinook returning to the Snake River and wild coho returning to north coastal and Strait of Juan de Fuca rivers to spawn," Anderson explained.

"Everything we did this year in the PFMC and North of Falcon salmon-season setting process was designed to protect weak wild stocks while providing opportunities to catch salmon from hatcheries and healthy wild stocks," said Bruce Crawford, who heads WDFW's Fish Management Program.

Tribes also agreed to sacrifice harvests for conservation by reducing their chinook troll fishery.

Jim Harp, a PFMC voting member representing treaty tribes, commented, "The Washington coast treaty tribes have always been willing to share an appropriate burden of conservation for the stocks of concern."

He added, "One must remember the treaty tribes are immobile and must exercise their treaty rights in their established usual and accustomed fishing areas. As such, the tribes simply cannot shift their fisheries to alternate areas to reduce impacts."

Crawford noted Canada's silence about its plan to harvest Washington-bound coho off Vancouver Island's west coast also contributed to the difficulty of building fishing seasons for Washington anglers.

"We're estimating Canada will harvest approximately 1.04 million Washington- bound coho far more than Washington fishers will take. All seasons were based on this presumption. Hopefully Canada will take fewer because it apparently is facing the need to implement severe conservation measures to protect its own salmon stocks," Crawford commented.

"Everyone recognizes that serious action must be taken to rebuild Pacific coho and chinook stocks. Oregon has launched a salmon initiative and Washington's draft Wild Salmonid Policy is now available to the public for review," Crawford said.

Washington's draft Wild Salmonid Policy seeks public comment on five alternatives designed to rebuild the state's wild salmon and steelhead stocks.

"We've taken strong conservation steps and shaped minimal fisheries this year,"Anderson acknowledged, "But we also need to find a way to make sharing the conservation burden more fair. These fish were produced in Washington rivers but the heaviest harvests occur in Canada. We are left each year to divide the remaining small number of harvestable fish among tribal, recreational and commercial fishers."

Ocean seasons, as well as the tentative Puget Sound and river salmon seasons, are as follows:

MARINE

Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco)

• July 21 - Sept. 25 or until quota of 17,500 coho is reached: two salmon of any species; no more than four fish in seven consecutive days; closed in Columbia River Control Zone and zero - three miles north of the control zone; harvest guideline of 1,500 chinook

• July 21 - Sept. 25 or until quota of 14,000 coho is reached: two salmon of any species; no more than four fish in seven consecutive days; open Sunday - Thursday; closed out three miles from the shoreline; harvest guideline of 3,000 chinook

• Aug. 16 to Jan. 31: six salmon daily limit of which three may be adults

Area 2.2 (east of Buoy 13 line)

• Sept. 1 - Sept. 30: six fish daily limit of which two may be adults; release all coho, barbless hooks

• Aug. 16 - Jan. 31: six salmon daily limit of which four may be adults; barbed hooks allowed

• July 21 - Sept. 25 or until quota of 800 coho is caught: two salmon daily limit; open seven days per week; harvest guideline of 150 chinook

• July 21 - Sept. 25 or until quota of 550 chinook are caught: two salmon daily limit; release coho; open seven days per week

• Jan. 1 - July 31: closed

• Aug. 1 - Aug. 29: two salmon limit (pink directed), release coho and chinook

• Aug. 30 - Aug. 31: two salmon daily limit, release chinook

• Sept. 1 - Sept. 14: Catch and release, gear limited to surface flies

• Sept. 15 - Dec. 31: closed

• Feb. 1 - April 15: two salmon daily limit, release coho

• April 16 - June 15: two salmon daily limit, release chinook over 30 inches and all coho

• June 16 - June 30: two salmon daily limit, release coho

• July 1 - July 31: closed

• Aug. 1 - Aug. 10: two salmon daily limit (pink directed); release coho and chinook

• Aug. 11 - Sept. 15: two salmon daily limit, release chinook; coho harvest guideline 44,000

• Sept. 16 - Dec. 31: closed except for Dungeness Bay coho opening (1000 foot closure around Sail, Clallam, Hoko, Lyre, Pysht, Sekiu, and east and west Twin rivers and Deep, Morse, and Salt creeks) Oct. 1 - Oct. 31, two coho daily limit; inner Sequim Bay and inner Discovery Bay closed

• Jan. 1 - April 15: two salmon daily limit

• April 16 - June 15: two salmon daily limit; chinook maximum 30 inches; Bellingham Bay closed

• June 16 - July 31: two salmon daily limit, Bellingham Bay closed

• Aug. 1 - Sept. 30: four salmon daily limit, no more than two of which may be chinook or coho; Samish Bay closed

• Oct. 1 - Oct. 15: two salmon daily limit, except for a four-salmon daily limit in Bellingham Bay of which no more than two may be chinook; Samish Bay closed

• Oct. 16 - Dec. 31: two salmon daily limit except for a four-salmon daily limit in Bellingham Bay of which no more than two may be chinook

• Jan. 1 - April 15: two salmon daily limit

• April 16 - Aug. 15: closed

• Aug. 16 - Sept. 15: four salmon daily limit, no more than two of which may be coho; release chinook

• Sept. 16 - Sept. 30: two salmon daily limit, release chinook

• Oct. 1 - Dec. 31: two salmon daily limit

• Jan. 1 - May 31: two salmon daily limit

• June 1 - July 31: closed

• Aug. 1 - Sept. 30: two salmon daily limit, release chinook except in the Tulalip Bay zone

• Oct. 1 - Dec. 31: two salmon daily limit

• Jan. 1 - June 30: two salmon daily limit

• July 1 - July 31: closed except for two salmon daily limit on Edmonds Pier

• Aug. 1 - Sept. 1: two salmon daily limit; release chinook except on Edmonds Pier

• Sept. 2 - Sept. 30: closed except for two salmon daily limit on Edmonds Pier

• Oct. 1 - Oct. 31: two salmon daily limit, release coho

• Nov. 1 - Dec. 31: two salmon daily limit

• Jan. 1 - June 30: two salmon daily limit

• July 1 - Sept. 15: two salmon daily limit; Shilshole Bay (east of the Meadow Point/West Point line) and Elliott Bay (east of the Pier 91/Duwamish Head line) closed to all salmon; chinook caught from the Elliott Bay and Seacrest Piers may be kept

• July 1 - Aug. 31: chinook release north of the west point Skiff Point line and northeast of Agate Pass bridge

• Sept. 16 - Oct. 15: two salmon daily limit; release chinook caught in Shilshole Bay (east of the Meadow Point/West Point line) and Duwamish Waterway (from the First Avenue Bridge to an east-west line through Southwest Hanford Street on Harbor Island)

• Oct. 16 - Dec. 31: two salmon daily limit

• Jan. 1 - Dec. 31: two salmon daily limit; the following areas are closed:

Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal)

• Jan. 1 - July 15: two salmon daily limit

• July 16 - Sept. 30: four salmon daily limit, no more than two of which may be pinks; release chinook and chum

• Oct. 1 - Oct. 15: four salmon daily limit no more than two of which may be chinook, release chum; release chinook in Hoodsport Hatchery Zone

• Oct. 16 - Dec. 15: four salmon daily limit of which no more than two may be chinook

• Dec. 16 - Dec. 31: two salmon daily limit

Columbia River watershed

Buoy 10 Astoria Bridge including North Jetty

• Aug. 1 - Sept. 30: two salmon daily limit; chinook must be at least 24 inches and coho must be at least 16 inches in length; barbed hooks allowed

• Oct. 1 - Dec. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; barbed hooks allowed North Jetty is open seven days per week when Marine Area 1 or Buoy 10 is open (Buoy 10 regulations)

• Aug. 1 - Dec. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults

• Aug. 1 - Oct. 22: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; jacks only Aug. 1 - Aug. 15

• Aug. 1 - Oct. 22: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; jacks only Aug. 1 - Aug. 15

• Aug. 1 - Dec. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; jacks only aug. 1 - Aug. 15 and Nov. 1 - Dec. 31

• Aug. 1 - Dec. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; jacks only Aug. 1 - Sept. 15

• Aug. 1 - Dec. 31: six jack salmon daily limit

• Aug. 1 - Dec. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults

• Sept. 1 - Oct. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; release chinook over 28 inches Oct. 1 - Oct. 31; release chum; night closure and non-buoyant lure restrictions Sept. 1 - Oct 31

• Sept. 1 - Dec. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; release chinook over 28 inches upstream of the Foster Road bridge from Oct. 1 - Dec. 31; night closure and non- buoyant lure restrictions Sept. 1 - Oct. 31

• closed

• Aug. 1 - Dec. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; release chinook over 28 inches upstream of Blue Creek Oct. 1 - Dec. 31: night closure and non-buoyant lure restrictions Barrier Dam to Mill Creek Aug. 1 - Oct. 31

• Sept. 1 - Nov. 30: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; release chinook over 28 inches Oct. 1 - Nov. 30; night closure and non-buoyant lure restrictions, Sept. 1- Oct. 31

• Sept. 1 - Nov. 30: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; release chinook over 28 inches Oct. 1- Nov. 30; closed for all species 1,500 feet downstream of salmon hatchery rack upstream to water intake at the upper end of hatchery grounds; night closure and non-buoyant lure restrictions mouth to 1500 feet below the hatchery rack, Sept. 1 - Oct. 3

• Aug. 1 - Dec. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; night closure and non- buoyant lure restrictions from the mouth to the temporary rack Sept. 1 - Oct. 31; closed 1,500 feet below and 200 feet above the temporary rack

• Aug. 1 - Dec. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; release chinook over 28 inches Oct. 1 - Dec. 31

• Aug. 1 - Dec. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; release chinook

• Aug. 1 - Dec. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; release chinook

• Aug. 1 - Dec. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; release chinook; bank fishing only for all species Aug. 16 - Oct. 15; night closure and non-buoyant lure restrictions

• Aug. 1 - Oct. 31 from lower Cedar Creek boat ramp to Colvin Creek

• Aug. 1 - Sept. 30: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; release chinook

• Oct. 1 - Dec. 31: closed to salmon fishing

• Oct. 1 - Dec. 15: closed to steelhead fishing

• Aug. 1 to Dec. 31: closed to salmon retention

• Aug. 1 - Dec. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; chinook over 28 inches must be released upstream of the Little Washougal River Oct. 1 - Dec. 31; night closure and non-buoyant lure restrictions Sept. 1 - Oct. 31

Bear River

• July 1 - Jan. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults

• July 1 - Jan. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults

• July 1 - Jan. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults, night closure and non- buoyant lure restrictions

• Oct. 16 - Jan. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; night closure and non- buoyant lure restrictions

• July 1 - Jan. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; night closure and non- buoyant lure restrictions Sept. 11 - Nov. 30

• Oct. 1 - Jan. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; night closure and non- buoyant lure restrictions Oct. 1 - Nov. 30

• July 1 - Jan. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults

• July 1 - Jan. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults

• July 1 - Jan. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; night closure and non- buoyant lure restrictions Oct. 1 - Nov. 30

• Oct. 16 - Jan. 31: six salmon daily of which two may be adults; night closure and non- buoyant lure restrictions

Chehalis River (mouth to the bridge on the Weyerhaeuser 1000 line, approximately 400 yards downstream of Roger Creek)

• May 16 - July 15: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults

• Sept. 1 - Sept. 30: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; release all coho; single point barbless hooks

• Sept. 1 - Oct. 15: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults

• Oct. 10 - Nov. 2: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults

• Sept. 1 - Oct. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; release all coho; single point barbless hooks

Hoh River (mouth to Highway 1010 bridge)

• May 16 - Nov. 30: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; release all coho; single point barbless hooks from Sept. 1 - Nov. 30

• May 16 - Aug. 31: six salmon daily limit of which two many be adults

• May 16 - Aug. 31: six salmon daily limit, jacks only

Queets River (pending agreement with Olympic National Park)

• June 1 - Nov. 30: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; release adult coho

• June 1 - Nov. 30: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; release adult coho

• Sept. 1 - Nov. 30: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; all species

Quillayute River

• March. 1 - Nov. 30: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; release adult coho; single point barbless hooks

• July 1 - Nov. 30: six salmon daily limit two of which may be adults; release coho; single point barbless hooks

• July 1 - Nov. 30: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; release coho; single point barbless hoods

• July 1 - Nov. 30: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; release coho; single point barbless hooks

• March 1 - Nov. 30: six salmon daily limit of which two may be adults; release coho; single point barbless hooks

Baker River

• depends upon in-season run size estimate

• Sept. 1 - Nov. 30: six salmon daily limit, no more than four of which may be adults; only two chinook over 24 inches; release all pinks

• Oct. 1 - Nov. 30: two salmon daily limit, retain only coho without adipose fins and scar where fin was clipped

• July 1 - Nov. 30: six salmon daily limit, no more than two of which may be adults; release coho

• Oct. 16 - Nov. 30: two salmon daily limit, coho only

• Oct. 16 - Feb. 28: two game fish daily limit; release wild steelhead; closed to salmon fishing

• closed all year

• June 1 - Oct. 31: two game fish

• Oct. 1 - Nov. 15: six salmon daily limit of which four may be adults, coho only

• closed all year

• July 1 - Jan. 31: six salmon daily limit no more than two of which may be adults; release all pink salmon

• Aug. 1 - Dec. 15: six salmon daily limit no more than two of which two may be adults; release all pink salmon

• Aug. 16 - Oct. 31: four salmon daily limit of which no more than two may be coho; release all chinook; each angler may use only one barbless single hook; no bait upstream of Sauk River

• Nov. 1 - Dec. 31: two chum daily limit, chum only

• Sept. 20 - Dec. 15: six salmon daily limit of which no more than four may be adults; release all chinook over 24 inches

• Sept. 1 - Dec. 31; two salmon daily limit, release all chinook and pink salmon

• Aug. 16 - Sept. 30: four pinks daily

• Nov. 1 - Dec. 31: two chum daily

• Sept. 1 - Nov. 30: two coho daily

• Oct. 1 - Nov. 30: two coho daily

• Oct. 1 - Nov. 30: two coho daily; waters within 1/4 mile of the mouth of Issaquah Creek are closed