The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission Friday affirmed ODFW staff recommendations regarding 2010 sturgeon and spring chinook fisheries on the Columbia and Willamette rivers. ODFW staff proposed several changes to the white sturgeon fishing seasons on the two rivers in response to recent declines in sturgeon populations. These changes include:
* a 35 percent reduction in the sturgeon harvest quota for the Columbia River
* expanding the spawning sanctuary below Bonneville Dam into August
* establishment of a spawning sanctuary on the Willamette River from the Falls to the I-205 Bridge
* creation of a separate sturgeon harvest quota for the Willamette River
Based on this guidance from the Commission, ODFW staff will work with fishery managers from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to develop a one-year sturgeon agreement for the upcoming 2010 season. The Commission also directed staff to develop the necessary rules for closing the “Wall” fishery on the Willamette River in Oregon City. This location requires anglers to land and release sturgeon from atop a 45 to 60-foot concrete wall, raising concerns about the subsequent injury to the fish that are released. “We do not like closing down opportunities, especially bank fishing opportunities on the Willamette,” said Steve Williams, ODFW assistant administrator for the fish division. “However, we have explored every option and there’s just no way to fix this site to allow for the safe release of fish.”
Instead, anglers will be encouraged to take advantage of other nearby bank fisheries at Meldrum Bar, Oak Grove, Milwaukie and a catwalk on the river that will be renovated this summer.
The Commission was also briefed on the upcoming Columbia River spring chinook season. Managers are predicting 470,000 spring chinook will return to the Columbia River this year. Seasons will be set at the Columbia River Compact meeting on Feb. 18. In anticipation of that meeting, the Commission directed staff to look at recreational and commercial fisheries that will provide opportunity early in the season, last as long as possible, and minimize closures and re-openings. The Commission also supported using a 40 percent buffer in calculating the number of fish available for harvest. The Commission did not consider specific season options, but were briefed on possible scenarios ranging from a 56-day season entirely below the I-5 Bridge to a 30-day season with a mix of opportunities above and below the I-5 Bridge.
The Commission adopted a plan for the conservation and recovery of native steelhead populations in the mid-Columbia River basin. Steelhead in the mid-Columbia were listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act in 1999, and the Conservation and Recovery Plan meets both federal requirements under ESA and state requirements under the Oregon Native Fish Conservation Policy. While the initial goal of the plan is to build steelhead populations to levels where they can be removed from the federal endangered species list, the ultimate goal is to restore the ecological and cultural significance of steelhead populations in the mid-Columbia region. Implementation of the plan will be lead by a team comprised of local landowners and watershed councils, the ODFW, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Governor’s Natural Resource Office, interested tribes, federal land managers and others.
The Commission denied a citizen-petition that would have allowed the use of a gaff to land fish that were legal to harvest.
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