WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE     Print Version
NEWS RELEASE
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091

OLYMPIA -- The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Pacific Fishery Management Council have announced the schedules of public meetings that will culminate with a Portland meeting in April at which 1998 salmon fishing seasons will be set.

WDFW, treaty tribes, sport and recreational fishers and other interested persons develop seasons in Puget Sound and other state waters through the North of Falcon process. The PFMC sets salmon fishing seasons between three and 200 miles offshore in the Pacific Ocean.

For Washington fishers, the season-setting process begins at 10 a.m. Feb. 27 in the auditorium of Office Building 2, 1115 Washington St., Olympia. At the meeting, WDFW fish managers will announce their preseason forecast of the size of the salmon runs expected to return to Washington this year. The meeting is scheduled to end at 1 p.m.

The PFMC will meet from Mar. 9 to 13 at the Clarion Hotel, 401 E. Millbrae Ave. Millbrae, Calif. to begin setting ocean fishing regulations along the coast from California through Washington.

Its decision-making meeting will take place at the Columbia River Doubletree Hotel, 1401 N. Hayden Island Dr., Portland from April 6 to 10.

The first North of Falcon meeting will occur at the Sheraton Motel, 8235 NE Airport Way, in Portland on March 18 and 19.

The second North of Falcon meeting is scheduled for April 1 and 2 at the Seattle Airport Hilton, 17620 Pacific Highway S., Seattle.

In order to coordinate state, tribal and federal fishing seasons, state and tribal managers will negotiate final salmon fishing seasons in Puget Sound and Washington rivers at the PFMC meeting in Portland from April 6 to 10.

In addition, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is scheduled to review the status of the negotiations in public meetings scheduled for March 20 and 21 at the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. SE, in Olympia and at the Doubletree Hotel, 1255 N. Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee, on April 3 and 4.