Columbia River Spring Chinook Update

In September 2008, the Fish and Wildlife Commissions of Washington and Oregon created a joint subcommittee to recommend policies that promote conservation and sustainable fisheries on both sides of the Columbia River. The new Columbia River Fish Working Group met its first charge in December of that year by recommending new management policies for lower Columbia River spring chinook fisheries.

While the two states agreed on most aspects of the proposal, the Oregon commission adopted a catch-sharing plan for sport and commercial spring chinook fisheries that departed from the one recommended by the joint Working Group.  That action prompted a two-month stalemate between the two commissions, but fishery managers ultimately developed fishing seasons for March and April of 2009 without violating either state’s allocation policy.  Further efforts to reach an agreement were expected before the later part of the spring-chinook run in May.