2020 Washington State Sport Catch Report

The Washington State Sport Catch Report was first published in 1967. The report originally provided salmon catch estimates, which were and still are based on data from catch record cards (punch cards). In 1975, marine fish sport harvest estimates were added to the report, followed by shellfish estimates in 1976. Marine fish and intertidal shellfish sport harvest estimates are based on field and creel surveys. In 1994, with the merger of the departments of Fisheries and Wildlife, steelhead sport harvest estimates were added to the report. Now, catch record card data are collected for salmon, sturgeon, steelhead, Dungeness crab and halibut. The card data is supplemented with field or creel survey data or telephone surveys where available to improve recreational harvest estimate accuracy. The sport harvest estimates for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, marine fish and shellfish are produced at varying times of each year.

The 2020 sport estimates reflect harvest for the “License Year” which ran from April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021. These April-March license years have been used since 2000. Prior to that, salmon and marine fish estimates were made on a calendar year basis and steelhead estimates were made using a May-April year.

Year 2020 turned out to be a challenging year for fishery managers and anglers alike. The Covid-19 global pandemic began in March 2020, right before the start of the new fishing year. Fishing was closed statewide on March 25. No fisheries were open in April 2020. Some areas reopened on May 5, but other areas remained closed, depending on advisories by local health departments. Even after reopening, some areas were less accessible due to boat ramp closures and other restrictions.

Sport Licenses and Catch Record Cards

In 2020, the following licenses and catch record cards were required to fish in Washington:

• Saltwater license: Required for saltwater fishing, for all anglers aged sixteen and over. Available for residents, resident seniors (70 and older), and non-residents. Catch record cards required for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and halibut, for anglers of all ages.
• Freshwater license: Required for freshwater fishing, for all anglers aged sixteen and over. Available for residents, resident seniors (70 and older), and non-residents. Catch record cards required for salmon, steelhead and sturgeon, for anglers of all ages.
• Shellfish/seaweed license: Required for harvesters aged sixteen and over. Available for residents, resident seniors (70 and older), and non-residents. Allows the holder to harvest clams, mussels, oysters, shrimp, crab, squid, other shellfish, and seaweed. In addition, a Puget Sound crab endorsement and catch record card was required to harvest Dungeness crab in Marine Areas 5-13.
• Combination license: Allows anglers to fish in both saltwater and freshwater and to harvest shellfish and seaweed. Available for both residents and non-residents aged fifteen and over.
• Fish catch record cards were required for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and halibut. Each species group could be issued as a separate card, or included together on one card. Separate catch record cards were required for recording Dungeness crab in Puget Sound. Separate crab cards were required for the summer and fall/winter seasons

In 2001 WDFW implemented the Washington Interactive Licensing Data (WILD) system to electronically capture recreational license issuance information at the point of sale. The catch record card remained the same paper document distributed by sport license vendors, but demographic data about persons receiving the cards became available almost immediately.

Table 1 lists license sales for the license year which ran from April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021. Table 2 provides counts for the numbers of fish and crab catch cards issued going back to 1971. Table 3 shows the return rate, expansion factor, and non-response bias correction factors for the 2020-2021 cards.