PUGET SOUND COMMERCIAL 
SALMON FISHERIES REGULATION HOTLINE
                  2023-05
                  Weeks 34
                  08/18/2023 – 4:00pm

For the week beginning Sunday August 20 all areas are closed except as follows:

Areas 7B (Bellingham Bay) and 7C (Samish Bay) will be open to:
Gillnets using 7-inch minimum mesh size: Nightly 7PM to 8AM the following day: Sunday, August 20. Monday, August 21. Tuesday, August 22. Wednesday, August 23.
Purse seines with a 5 inch strip: 6 AM to 8 PM Wednesday, August 23. Brailing is required, and purse seines must release all coho and sockeye.


Area 9A (Port Gamble Bay) will be open to:
Skiff gillnets with nets not to exceed 600 feet in length and 60 meshes in depth using 5-inch minimum mesh, is open continuously through 7 PM Saturday, November 4.
All Chinook and chum must be released by cutting the ensnaring mesh.


Area 10 Limited Participation Pink Fishery: Gillnets using 4½ inch minimum and 5½ inch maximum mesh size: Open 7PM to 7AM the following day: Tuesday, August 22. Wednesday, August 23. Thursday, August 24th. 
Gillnets must release all Chinook, coho, sockeye, and chum. Participation will only be open to the following vessels: F/V Nettie B, F/V Loki, F/V Mount Royal, F/V Sanjo, F/V Njord. Recovery Box, Short Soak (90min), and Observer Required.

Area 10 Limited Participation Pink Fishery: Purse seines open 7AM to 7PM Tuesday, August 22. Wednesday, August 23. Thursday, August 24. Purse seines must release Chinook, coho, sockeye, and chum.
Participation will only be open to the following vessels: F/V Sofia Lynn, F/V Yankee Boy, F/V Peyton Elizabeth, F/V Wisconsin, F/V Equator. Recovery Box, Brailing, and Observer Required.

Due to the current state of the market for pink salmon, please call and secure a buyer before participating in the pink fisheries. Enforcement will be present on the water and citing for any wastage of unsold fish.

Pink Seasonal Closure: The area east inside of the line projected from West Point (47°39’43.6”N, 122°26’8.5”W) and extending west to the traffic separation lane Lighted Buoy SG 
(Light List No. 16815 FlY2.5s5MY”SG,” (47°39’41.6”N, 122°27’52.6”W), thence 20 degrees true until reaching latitude 47°44’30.0”N, thence extending directly east to the shoreline (47°44’30”N, 122°22’40.5”W). 

Additional Purse Seine Pink Seasonal Closure: The area within 500 feet of the eastern shore in Area 10 is closed to purse seines north of latitude 47°44’30.0”N. 


Area 7 and 7A pink and sockeye fisheries are controlled by the Fraser River Panel and are not posted on this hotline.
Fishers should call the National Marine Fisheries Service Hotline at 1-800-662-9825 to get opening information on Fraser Panel fisheries.
Fishers are reminded that a department issued Fish Friendly certification card is required to participate in any Area 7 or 7A commercial salmon fisheries.  


If you suspect an error in this message or if you have questions, please 360-701-2215.   
http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/commercial/salmon/