CCA Pacific Northwest - Coastal Conservation Association of Washington & Oregon

CCA calls for end to gillnetting in sturgeon sanctuary

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The Coastal Conservation Association is asking Washington and Oregon to end gillnetting in the 9.5-mile sturgeon summer sanctuary in the Columbia River just downstream of Bonneville Dam.

Two years ago, the states expanded the six-mile sanctuary downstream of Bonneville an additional 3.5 miles to Skamania Island.

The month of August also was added, closing the area to all sport sturgeon fishing from May through August.

But the stretch of the Columbia between the commercial fishing deadline at Beacon Rock and Skamania Island remains open to gillnetters during the sport-closure period.

In 2010, the netters fished eight days in the sanctuary. In 2011, they were given 10 days — two in June and eight in late August.

View the full story here

Is The Northwest Sardine Fishery Collapsing?

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Two fishery scientists have predicted a collapse in the West Coast sardine population based on several factors that parallel the fishery’s dramatic collapse in the mid-1900s.

If they’re right – and there is some scientific debate – the valuable sardine fishery in the Pacific Northwest would collapse along with the population, as it did in the 1950s.

In an article for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists Juan Zwolinsky and David Demer describe the factors that led to the fishery’s collapse in the 1940s and 50s.

View the full story here.

Sardine fishery may be in peril

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The storied sardine fishery in the northeast Pacific may be tottering on the brink of another collapse, like one that shut down sardine fishing there for years in the middle of the last century.

No hatchery steelhead in Elwha this year

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) - The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe has agreed not to release any hatchery-raised steelhead into the Olympic Peninsula's Elwha River this year.

The tribe is facing a lawsuit brought by the Wild Fish Conservancy and other groups arguing that the nonnative steelhead will hurt the recovery of protected native salmon once the river's two dams are removed.

Wash. Supreme Court upholds tribal fishing rights

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

State wildlife authorities had no right to cite a Yakama Nation fisherman for catching undersized fish at a Columbia River tribal fishing site, the Washington Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a split decision. Full full story here.

Suit filed to block hatchery salmon in Elwha River

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

FOUR ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS filed suit Thursday against Olympic National Park, two federal agencies and the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe, seeking to block restocking the Elwha River west of Port Angeles with hatchery-raised salmon as part of the Elwha dam-removal project. The groups argue in their suit — which had been threatened for months — that the hatchery plan violates the federal Endangered Species Act and undermines the recovery of native fish in the river. View the full story here.

Ocean Indicators Report: Persistent ‘Negative Pacific Decadal Oscillation’ Positive News For Salmon

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700

In the case of young salmon that enter the ocean each spring and summer in search of food to grow, and survive, negative Pacific Decadal Oscillation conditions in the ocean are good. They generally bring cooler water offshore, stronger upwelling of nutrients that bolster the food chain and bring the presence of more fat-rich northern copepod, which fortify populations of small fish on which salmon feed. Click here for full story.

License buyback plan disappointing for local commercial salmon fishery

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

A federal plan to retire chinook salmon licenses in the B.C. fishery is not popular with the local fishing community. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) sees the $28.5 million buyback program as a way to enhance the economic viability of the commercial chinook troll fishery of the West Coast of Vancouver Island. View the full story here.

Spring Chinook Return Expected To Be Large; Wild Component Predicted Above 10-Year Average

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The anticipated return of 314,000 “upriver” adult spring chinook salmon to the mouth of the Columbia would be the fourth largest on a record dating back to 1938 when dam counts began. Upriver spring chinook are fish headed for tributary spawning areas and hatcheries above Bonneville Dam (located at river mile 146) in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. View the full story here.

CCA urges end to winter sturgeon gillnet fishery

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The Coastal Conservation Association is calling for an end to the winter sturgeon gillnet season in the lower Columbia River to reduce handling of the dwindling population. “It is an unneeded season on fish that are in serious trouble,’’ said Bruce Polley, CCA Oregon government relations committee chairman. “Because this season is unnecessary to access the commercial quota, it results in an increase in discarded sturgeon in fall salmon/sturgeon gillnet fisheries.’’

Study of Hood River steelhead finds natural selection in hatcheries causes rapid productivity declines in the wild

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Genetic adaptation of hatchery steelhead starts hurting spawning success within just one generation, according to a study of Hood River fish that could lead to pinning down the causes of hatchery domestication.

Scientist claims early evidence of salmon virus, feared lab would be closed

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

VANCOUVER, B.C. – A Canadian scientist testifying in front of a commission on the collapse of the Fraser River salmon fishery says that tests done as far back as 2002 did find indicators of the Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) virus in pacific salmon and that her lab had discovered evidence of the virus from fish gathered in 1986. Click here to view full story.

Angling groups: Budget shift a betrayal.

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

By Allen Thomas

Four Northwest sport-fishing groups say Washingtons governors office is using $1.5 million in recreational dollars to subsidize commercial fishing in the states 2011-13 supplemental budget.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is facing $6 million to $7 million in state General Fund cuts in the supplemental budget. The agencys General Fund support has dropped from $110 million in the 2007-09 budget period to $69 million in 2011-13.

CCA, PSA and Sportfishing Industry Testify in Senate Ways and Means Committee

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

On November 17th, CCA and other groups sent a letter to Gov. Gregoire objecting to the use of $1.5 Million in recreational license fee dollars to subsidize commercial fisheries. Now that the Governor has released the budget, the debate moves to the legislature. On December 7th, CCA, PSA and sportfishing industry Representatives testified in front of the Senate Ways and Means Committee demanding that recreational fees be used for recreational fisheries only. You can view their testimony here.

Two members appointed to Fish and Wildlife Commission

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700

OLYMPIA-Larry Carpenter, a Mount Vernon boat dealer and long-time sportfishing enthusiast, and Jay Kehne, an Okanogan County conservationist and hunter, have been appointed by Gov. Chris Gregoire to two vacant positions on the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission.

For First Time, USFWS Analyzes Economic Contributions Of Nation’s Fisheries Programs

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The fisheries program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in association with state agencies and other conservation organizations, contributes $3.6 billion to the nation’s economy and supports 68,000 jobs across the country, according to a new report issued by the agency. Click Here to view the news release.

Fish pen proposal pitched in pre-application meeting in Port Angeles

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0700

PORT ANGELES — A seafood company that wants to put a new fish farm in the Strait of Juan de Fuca made its case a preliminary meeting with local, state and federal agencies Tuesday in Port Angeles. “We don’t have any announcement,” said John Bielka, general manager of Oregon-based Pacific Aquaculture, a division of Pacific Seafood, after the private pre-application meeting for a joint aquatic resources permit. “We were just there to listen. We gave a presentation on what we kind of envision. This is all very preliminary.” Among those attending the meeting were state Department of Fish and Wildlife officials, the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Clallam County Planning Manager Steve Gray, Bielka said. It was held at the Clallam County Courthouse. See the full story here.

Pacific Seafoods early plans for fish farm in Strait of Juan de Fuca face big hurdles

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700

An Oregon company wants to build a fish farm in the Strait of Juan de Fuca that would nearly double the farmed fish grown in saltwater in Washington. The proposal comes as battles over marine aquaculture heat up, and as the discovery of a potentially lethal fish virus rattles salmon farmers and wild-fish advocates alike. Click here for full story

Rejuvenated Upper Columbia River Coho Allows First Fisheries In 30 Years

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Coho salmon fisheries opened Wednesday on the Wenatchee and Methow rivers and Icicle Creek (a tributary to the Wenatchee in central Washington), providing another target for anglers already chasing hatchery chinook salmon and steelhead. Click here for the full story.

Trawlers waste 104 tons of Alaska halibut

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The Seattle-based trawler Alaska Beauty recently had a great week of halibut fishing in the Gulf of Alaska, according to the latest reports from the Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Only one problem: Alaska Beauty wasnt supposed to be fishing halibut; it was supposed to be fishing cod. Despite that, 43 percent of its catch was halibut. All of that halibut, by law, must be dumped back into the sea. Most of it goes back dead. Some Alaskans are starting to get angry at this sort of large by-catch of halibut by Pacific Northwest and Kodiak-based trawlers at a time when the species stocks are declining, and Alaska charter and commercial longline fisheries are locked in a bitter battle over every flatfish. Click here for the full story.

Marketing Effort Credited With Spurring Biggest Sport Angler Steelhead Catch Since 1969

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The estimated “kept catch” of 13,000 hatchery summer steelhead Aug. 1-28 is a record for any month dating back to at least 1969. That kept catch on the lower river (Bonneville Dam downstream more than 100 miles Tongue Point at Astoria, Ore.) shattered the previous record of 8,549 steelhead caught in July.

More liberal Dungeness crab sport seasons looming after judge rejects commercial crabbers restraining order

Fri, 13 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Thurston County Superior Court Judge Thomas McPhee rejected the Puget Sound Commercial Crab Associations request for a temporary restraining order that would have reverted our more conservative season regulations to 2010 late this afternoon (May 13). See full story here.

WDFW Provides toll-free number to report derelict fishing gear

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700

OLYMPIA – Boaters, divers and others who encounter derelict fishing gear in Washington’s marine waters can report their findings using a new toll-free phone number: (855) 542-3935.

Results of Colville Tribes Evaluation of Selectiv/Live Cature Gear Project

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The Colville Tribes have embarked on a 10-year program to develop, test and deploy a variety of selective fishing gear for harvesting anadromous salmonid in the upper Columbia and Okanogan rivers. You can read more about it here.

CCA Members among volunteers honored at 2011 State of the County event

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Due to budget cuts a number of boat ramps on the Lewis River were slated for closure during the winter months. Members from the SW Washington chapter of CCA worked with other local organizations volunteering time to maintain the parks and keep them open. The fishing organizations were honored at the State of the County event, you can read the full article here.

Gregoire: Merge state agencies that oversee parks, fish and wildlife

Sun, 26 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Gov. Chris Gregoires proposal to merge state agencies that oversee parks, fish and wildlife has drawn a lukewarm reception from local legislators. Last week, Gregoire suggested consolidating the State Parks and Recreation Commission and Department of Fish and Wildlife into a new Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Big crowd protests proposed Lake Sutherland fishing moratorium

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0700

PORT ANGELES -- An overflow crowd of about 125 people gave a thumbs-down to including Lake Sutherland in a state Fish and Wildlife proposal to enact a five-year fishing moratorium for the Elwha River and its tributaries at a public meeting Wednesday.

Test Fishing With Alternatives To Gill Nets – Purse And Beach Seines – Show Positive Results

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0700

A Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife test this late summer and fall of “selective” commercial gear produced “very positive results” in catching salmon and steelhead efficiently and benignly.

Sea lions killing sturgeon in lower Columbia River

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Its not just chinook salmon that sea lions are picking off in the lower Columbia River near the Bonneville Dam, its sturgeon, including the larger spawning fish.

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Department estimates nearly 11,000 sturgeon will be killed in 2011 by sea lions while the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Department estimates the figure will be closer to 7,000.

Another 30 percent cut recommended in Columbia sturgeon harvest

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Washington and Oregon officials are calling for the annual sturgeon harvest in the lower Columbia River to be cut another 30 percent for 2011 through 2013.

Cindy LeFleur, Columbia River policy coordinator for Washington, recommended to the state Fish and Wildlife Commission Friday that the annual combined sport and commercial take drop to 17,000, down from 24,000 in 2010.

Tests on the Columbia River look for a better way to save wild salmon, and sustain commercial, sports fishermen

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Commercial gillnetters have worked the lower Columbia River since the mid-1800s. Because gillnetting sweeps up so many fish indiscriminately, it is banned everywhere in the lower 48 states — except on the Columbia. Here, commercial gillnetters can work 10 to 15 days a year, depending on the numbers of fish. Only 150 gillnetters make part of their living on the Columbia these days, though there are 550 commercial licenses. The rest of the year they crab, go after herring, sturgeon or bottom fish, or work in Alaska, where gillnetting is still allowed.

Committee members sought for Puget Sound recreational fisheries enhancement group

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking members of the sport fishing community to serve on a committee that oversees the Puget Sound Recreational Fisheries Enhancement program, which includes the production of blackmouth chinook salmon.

Colville Tribes Fund State Hatchery

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Colville Tribes Again Funding States Fish Hatchery To Avoid Closure Due To Budget

Sportfishing Community Applauds Legislation to Improve Federal Marine Fisheries Management System

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

CCA and other sportfishing community leaders applaud legislation to improve Federal Marine Fisheries Management. Bill Nelson of Florida introduced S.3594, the Fishery Conservation Transition Act (FCTA), which is designed to give federal marine fisheries managers the time, resources and more specific direction necessary to address the chronic deficiencies in data collection and science that have been plaguing federal fisheries. View the full Press Release Here. To better understand this legislation and the reason it is needed, click here to view the fact sheet.

COLUMBIA RIVER SPORT AND COMMERCIAL CHINOOK SEASON ESTABLISHED

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

After hearing disagreements between sport and commerical fishing interests, Wahington and Oregon managers estabished Columbia River summer Chinook seasons.

State to test gillnet alternatives on Columbia

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Five beach seines, six purse seines, and two Merwin traps will be tested below Bonneville Dam this summer as part of a 1.9 million dollar federal grant. These alternative fishing gears are being evaluated as potential replacements for gillnets.

Removing Derelict Nets From Nooksack River

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Earlier in 2010, Coastal Conservation Association members along with other fishermen documented 62 abandoned gillnets in the Nooksack River, and reported their locations to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Bellingham Herald reports that the Lummi and Nooksack tribes and WDFW have now removed some of the nets.

Mark Selective Fishing: New Rule Should Extend to Commercial Summer Chinook Fishery

Sun, 16 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

In this commentary piece, CCA PNW applauds the move to mark selective recreational fishing for summer chinook in the Columbia, but cautions managers about the dangers of the remaining non-selective gillnet harvest of these fish. This nonselective fishery for summer chinook, conducted since 2006, impacts not only wild Columbia summer chinook but five other salmon and steelhead stocks listed as threatened or endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act also present in the river during fishing season. In light of this alarming mortality to wild and ESA-listed salmon populations, this fishery should not continue unless and until it can become fully mark selective.

Nooksack River: 62 Derelick Nets in River

Wed, 05 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Derelict fishing gear is a well-documented problem in the Puget Sound, but it’s an issue in our freshwater rivers as well.

A group of CCA members and concerned recreational anglers have documented 62 derelict gill nets in a stretch of the Nooksack River that is home to imperiled salmon and steelhead populations. Many of these nets appear to still be fishing and all of them pose a significant risk to fish, birds and other wildlife in the area.

On March 8, 2010 CCA Washington alerted the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to the situation and provided a detailed list of the location of the nets, including GPS coordinates.

3 species of Puget Sound rockfish listed for protection

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

By Craig Welch - Seattle Times environment reporter

In hindsight it seems almost predictable. After federal Judge George Boldt in his landmark decision in the 1970s awarded area tribes half the regions catch of salmon, state leaders sought to appease frustrated non-Indian anglers. Fishermen looking to hook or net more fish were pushed toward Puget Sounds murky depths and a brightly colored family of bottom dwellers: rockfish.

Abandoned fishing gear threatens salmon and steelhead in local river

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

CCA WASHINGTON ALERTS WDFW TO NOOKSACK RIVER DERELICT FISHING NETS Derelict fishing gear is a well documented problem in Puget Sound, but it is also a serious problem and concern in our fresh water river systems as well.

See the full Press Release HERE.

Seattle Times article: Nooksack Derelict Nets

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

In November of 2009 and this past February, members of the CCAs North Sound Chapter and other recreational anglers in Whatcom County documented about 62 derelict gillnets in the Nooksack River. Seattle Times reporter, Mark Yuasa, writes the story.

Surplus Hatchery Fish: Financial, Fisheries Enhancement, and Food Bank Issues

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

If WDFW hatchery operations handled surplus hatchery fish differently, would more money be returned to WDFW and/or the state? Paul Ancich of the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group feels that the value to the state’s economy from all aspects of hatchery operations should be evaluated. Ideas are discussed to make surplus hatchery fish worth more to the department and state, to increase revenues to regional fisheries enhancement groups, and enhance the provision of nutrients to food banks. Read the whole story here.

Cowlitz River: More Turmoil

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

On March 18th, representatives of Tacoma Power and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife met in Morton to discuss the ongoing and future developments of the utility’s Cowlitz River Hydroelectric Project. As part of Tacoma Power’s federal relicensing agreement to operate dams on the river, the utility is required to build fish passage at Mayfield Dam if fishery studies show that native fish can return to thriving numbers in the upper reaches of the Cowlitz and Tilton rivers. To read the whole story, click here.

Columbia River Smelt: Vital link in food chain threatened

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Each spring, for thousands of years, bountiful runs of smelt -- a small fish extremely rich in oil -- migrated from the ocean back to the lower Columbia basin to spawn. During this long history, smelt runs to the Cowlitz, Grays, Kalama, Lewis and Sandy rivers were vital to the survival of lower Columbia River tribes, providing food and a valuable source of fat for trade. Over the last century commercial harvests have grown to millions of pounds annually. This valuable fish is also a crucial link in the food chain for dozens of marine species including salmon, birds, seals, sea lions and various whale species. Ironically, vast schools of Columbia smelt likely provided food for the seals and sea lions that now travel far up river to feast on salmon and sturgeon instead.

Whatcom County: Derelict nets removed

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The Bellingham Herald reports that 100,000 pounds of abandoned fishing gear has been removed from saltwaters in the Whatcom County area. Most of the nets were gillnets, but purse seine, trawl, and aquaculture nets have also been removed, as have shrimp and octopus traps. Click to read the entire story.

Revised salmon recovery plan has big price tag

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Stream restoration, hatchery upgrades to cost $740M over 50 years

By Erik Robinson Columbian staff writer

A newly revised salmon recovery plan for Southwest Washington sets the ambitious goal of recovering five runs of wild salmon, steelhead and bull trout in the lower Columbia River.

However, despite billions of dollars already spent improving habitat, state and federal fishery managers have yet to fundamentally alter harvest practices, said Ed Wickersham, governmental relations chairman for the Coastal Conservation Association in Washington.

State Considers Expanding Selective Fishing Practices

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Selective fishing — keeping hatchery salmon but releasing wild ones — has captured the hearts and minds of anglers and salmon managers alike. The program may be further expanded this year for chinook salmon in some areas, including the Pacific Ocean and Skokomish River in Hood Canal, according to officials with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Salmon managers briefed commercial and sport fishers in a meeting Tuesday, the kickoff for annual negotiations over how many salmon will be caught and by whom. The first priority must be protecting threatened and endangered species under conservation goals established during consultations with Indian tribes, according to Phil Anderson, director of the state agency. To read the entire story, click here.

WDFW Issues Request for Proposals for Alternate Commercial Salmon Fishing Gear Testing

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is expanding the scope of alternate gear testing on the lower Columbia River and soliciting bids from contractors to provide fishing services. Proposals are due by March 9th and testing starts on August 1st.

This is a significant step forward in reforming the Columbia River commercial fishery towards the use of selective fishing gear capable of live release of non-target species. Implimenting selective harvest methods are a vital step towards restoring our NW salmon runs and creating sustainable fisheries. More at WDFW's webpage and the proposal is available here.

Study Confirms - Gillnet

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0700

As our fisheries managers continue to try to assign lower theoretical mortality rates to tangle nets, a new scientific study suggests the actual mortality may be many times higher than the rate used in setting current gillnet seasons. The study by Matthew R. Baker and Daniel E. Schinder of the University of Washington finds that drop out from gill net fisheries “is an important and under-appreciated consequence of the exploitation of salmon.” The study also concludes, “virtually all fish with moderate or severe gillnet injury fail to spawn.” View the abstract paper HERE

SW and SE Washington Legislators Stand Up In Support of Conservation and Harvest Reform

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0700

In a letter dated December 28th, 2009 to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission a group of ten SW and SE Washington Legislators outlined the need for conservation-based harvest reforms and implementation of selective fisheries. In discussing the upcoming 2010 spring Chinook season the legislators expressed, “Well managed recreational fisheries generate enormous benefits to our economy, society and to our environment”. View the letter HERE.

CCA PROPOSES ALTERNATIVES TO NOAA TO PROTECT ESA-LISTED KILLER WHALES

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0700

CCA PROPOSES ALTERNATIVES TO NOAA TO PROTECT ESA-LISTED KILLER WHALES

NOAA proposal would impact recreational fishing and local economy

On January 15, Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Washington formally submitted comments and alternatives to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) regarding proposed regulations to protect the ESA-listed resident killer whale population along the west side of San Juan Island.

Coho Comeback

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The Columbian - In Our View, Jan. 1:
Coho Comeback From the Pacific Ocean to Wenatchee, a remarkable success story unfolded in 2009

Homo sapiens aside, 2009 wasn’t so bad for other species. If fish could high-five or knuckle-bump, more than 33,000 coho salmon might have been seen celebrating this year about 185 miles east of Vancouver, just upstream of McNary Dam on the Columbia River.

A record return of coho last year confirmed the success of a scientifically complex salmon restoration program that has taken more than a decade. Ten years ago, only 4,736 coho passed McNary Dam. This year, the count was a whopping 33,385. An even more remarkable coho recovery was seen more than 150 miles farther upstream. A decade ago, only 12 adult coho were counted above Rock Island Dam near Wenatchee. That number soared to 19,805 in 2009.

Pilot Study Shows Enough Promise To Expand Evaluation of Commercial Selective Fishing Gear

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0700

A pilot study this year showed enough promise for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to expand its evaluation of the use of selective commercial fishing gear on the Columbia River mainstem in the New Year and beyond. Status quo is not an option, WDFW Director Phil Anderson said of Columbia River commercial fishing, which has become more restrictive in recent years in large part because of Endangered Species Act protections for an expansive number of Columbia River basin salmon and steelhead listings.

CCA Hails Breakthrough on Catch Share Management

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Congress directs fisheries managers to address impacts to recreational angling

HOUSTON, TX - HOUSTON, TX - Coastal Conservation Association applauds the U.S. Congress for recognizing the need to address impacts to recreational angling as a result of the U.S. Catch Share Policy. Language inserted into the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill currently awaiting President Obama's signature directs the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to provide a report within 90 days of the bill's enactment on the effect of catch share program management to recreational fishing.

Eastern Washington: EIS Released for New Hatchery Near Chief Joseph Dam

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The implementation of the Chief Joseph Hatchery Program could begin moving ahead in the spring of 2010. The Environmental Impact Statement process was started in 2007, and the final EIS was released last month. Construction contracts are being negotiated now, in anticipation of expected final decisions in March.

Fish trappers boost habitat

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0700

By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune A group of fish-minded volunteers armed with a wire-mesh contraption and an old-fashion bucket hope to turn large swaths of southeast Medford into a winter nursery ground for wild steelhead. Members of the fledgling Rogue Valley Chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association will operate their own trapping program in lower Larson Creek to give wild steelhead, salmon and even native suckers a boost into the creeks upper reaches within Medford.

Successful Commercial Selective Fishery, Quilcene Bay

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0700

WDFW biologist Jeremy Jording coordinates a Quilcene Bay selective commercial non-tribal beach seine fishery. This fishery was created in 1996 to provide a commercial opportunity for harvesting hatchery coho while protecting ESA listed summer chums.

Coastal Conservation Night with the Seattle Thunderbirds

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Get ready for CCA Night at ShoWare Center Mark your calendars for February 6th for some great major junior hockey action, when the Seattle Thunderbirds meet the Portland Winterhawks for one of their biggest games of the year. The Thunderbirds are recognizing CCA by offering special pricing and other perks for CCA members.

Under Water, Old Nets Are Silent Killers, By Tara Garcia Mathewson

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0700

An old gill net covers the seafloor like a blanket. Small forage fish swim through its holes untouched — but a baby seal is not so lucky. When Jim Norberg and Jake Johnston dive down from the Twila Dawn to recover the lost net, they find the seal, dead and still bleeding.

CCA to Testify Before Senate Committee on Oceans Policy

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0700

CCA to Testify Before Senate Committee on Oceans Policy Committee seeks CCA’s input on role for recreational fisheries in ocean, coastal stewardship WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, has invited Coastal Conservation Association to appear before a hearing on Nov. 4 to testify on the National Ocean Policy Task Force’s Interim Report.

Meetings will focus on Columbia River sturgeon, spring chinook management

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

OLYMPIA – Fishery managers will seek public comments on issues affecting future fisheries for Columbia River white sturgeon and spring chinook salmon at meetings scheduled next month in Vancouver, Wash., and Astoria, Ore.

CCA Names New President

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

HOUSTON, TX – After an extensive nationwide search, Coastal Conservation Association selected conservation veteran Patrick Murray as president of the national organization at its meeting last week in Houston.

“Pat brings unparalleled expertise in the field of marine resource conservation, advocacy, fundraising, membership development and communication,” said Venable Proctor, chairman of CCA National. “He has an exceptional reputation in conservation circles throughout the nation and will be able to leverage his expertise and experience during a crucial time for fisheries management issues.”

Colville Tribes, States Test Selective Commercial Fishing Gear To Reduce Wild Fish Mortality

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The notion of harvesting fish from the Columbia River basin with selective commercial gear is gaining attention, with central Washingtons Colville Tribes among those taking the lead.

The ultimate goal is to boost the harvest of hatchery fish while aiding in the conservation of imperiled wild salmon and steelhead stocks.

Ranker: Federal government shouldn't overrule local policy on ocean protection

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

SAM TAYLOR - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

State Sen. Kevin Ranker says that local and state governments should be allowed to go further than federal laws allow to protect ocean natural resources.

That was part of the message Ranker, a Democrat whose 40th district includes the lower half of Whatcom County, took to the White House conference center on Sept. 24 as part of an invitation to speak with President Obama's Interagency Policy Taskforce. The group has 180 days to develop a national policy for the ocean, the coasts, and the Great Lakes.

Crowd says no go to proposed orca rules

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

By Deborah Bach

Fishers, whale watch operators, recreational boaters and conservationists turned out in force Wednesday night to oppose a federal plan to protect killer whales by closing off 6.2 square miles of water off San Juan Island each year.

Ghost Net Removal From Puget Sound

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Click here to see Ghost Nets being removed from the Puget Sound

NOAA’s Fisheries Service Issues Recovery Plan for Mid-Columbia Steelhead

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

NOAA’s Fisheries Service today released its recovery plan for Middle Columbia River steelhead, a fish that was first given protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1999.

The recovery plan calls for protecting existing high-quality steelhead habitat, managing agriculture and timber harvest to improve watersheds, and reforming hatcheries to prevent hatchery fish from competing with wild fish. The plan also provides specific actions to reduce predation by birds, marine mammals and non-native fish on steelhead migrating to and from the ocean. Efforts to reintroduce steelhead into the Upper Deschutes, White Salmon and Crooked rivers are also underway.

COMMENTARY: How fishing can help wild salmon recovery

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

BY BRYAN IRWIN

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife recently invited anglers to "contribute to wild-salmon recovery" by catching up to six hatchery coho a day. You might ask, "How will more fishing bring recovery?"

The key is that anglers can fish "mark-selectively." Their gear allows most salmon to be released relatively unharmed, so the anglers can keep the hatchery fish (identifiable by a clipped adipose fin) and safely release wild "unmarked" salmon to spawn.

Paulu: Fish wars still going strong

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Column by Tom Paulu
The Daily News

Fish wars. Or at least fish fights, if your prefer the term.

Whatever you call the battles over who gets how many Columbia River salmon and sturgeon, they've been fought for nearly 130 years, though the combatants have changed over the years.

CCA Files Lawsuit to Stop Gulf Grouper Giveaway

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

"Fundamentally flawed" catch share program a threat to angling

HOUSTON, TX - Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) has filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Fort Myers, Florida, challenging the adoption and implementation of Amendment 29 to the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Management Plan approved by United States Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke on August 30. Amendment 29 gives away a majority share of Gulf grouper to the commercial fishing industry through a catch share program.

Upper Columbia, several other rivers to open for hatchery steelhead fishing

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

OLYMPIA - Starting tomorrow (Sept. 29), hatchery steelhead fisheries will open on the upper Columbia, Wenatchee, Icicle, Entiat, Methow and Okanogan rivers, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today.

In addition, the Similkameen River will open to hatchery steelhead retention beginning Nov. 1.

On all rivers, anglers will have a daily limit of four adipose-fin-clipped hatchery steelhead, which must measure at least 20 inches in length. Steelhead with an intact adipose fin must be immediately released unharmed without being removed from the water. Anglers also will be required to release any steelhead with one or more round holes punched in the tail fin.

Conservationists call for U.S. action to save bluefin tuna

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

International impasse leaves bluefin on the brink

HOUSTON, TX - Citing the failure of the international community to rein in harvest of bluefin tuna, Coastal Conservation Association is urging the United States to proceed with an effort to list the Atlantic bluefin on Appendix I to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and prohibit the international trade in bluefin.

Interview with new Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Phil Anderson

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Listen to the podcast interview of new director of WDFW, Phil Anderson, on The Outdoor Line 710AM ESPN Seattle Radio Show. Click link to access full length interview.

States, netters research live-capture salmon fishing

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

BY ALLEN THOMAS COLUMBIAN STAFF WRITER

SKAMOKAWA — Marty Kuller pushed the throttle ahead slightly on his 25-foot aluminum boat and 720 feet of purse seine net slowly peeled off the stern and into the lower Columbia River.

The net floated in a horseshoe, the other end attached to a skiff.

Twenty minutes later, the seine was gathered into more or less of a circle and the bottom closed, capturing 21 chinook and coho salmon — all marked by state biologists and returned to the river.

3,000 Ghost Nets to Disappear

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

$4.5 million federal grant to speed removal of derelict fishing gear from Puget Sound

The marine resources of Puget Sound received a tremendous boost yesterday when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the Northwest Straits Commission will receive a $4.5 million grant to remove derelict gill nets lost or discarded in Puget Sound. Since its inception in 2006, Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Washington has strongly supported funding for the Northwest Straits Commission and has lobbied federal and state officials to take action to remove these silent killers.

Harvest Management Reforms Essential to Columbia River Salmon Recovery Efforts

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Final spring Chinook count is half of pre-season forecast, but CCA-supported conservation buffer prevents overharvest of endangered stocks

Vancouver, WA - For the second year in a row, the heralded Columbia River spring Chinook season went from banner to bummer. In spite of predictions that the 2009 season would be the Columbia's best run since 2002 at 298,000 returning adults, final counts -- as measured at Bonneville dam through June 15th-- indicate that 147,489 actually passed upriver.

CCA Applauds Congressman Dicks for Salmon Recovery Efforts

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Increased Mitchell Act Hatchery Funding illustrates Congressman's continued commitment to restoring Northwest salmon runs

Vancouver, WA - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year 2010 spending bill for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which includes a significant increase in funding for Mitchell Act Hatcheries in the Columbia River basin. Coastal Conservation Association, the largest marine conservation organization in the Pacific Northwest, applauded the increased funding and the tireless efforts of Congressman Norm Dicks (D-WA) to advocate for the recovery and preservation of Northwest salmon runs.

All tangled in the nets on the Columbia

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700

By Rick Attig, The Oregonian
The OregonianA gill-netter works the Columbia River

Threatened salmon are dying, sportfishing is crimped and an outdoor retail chain goes belly up

It stinks what passes for salmon harvest policy on the Columbia River. Everyone smells it -- lawmakers, gill-netters, sport fishermen, fish commissioners -- but all the Northwest has done is hold its collective nose.

CCA Promotes Legislation to Advance Salmon Recovery

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

HB 2579 would re-legalize the use of commercial fishing gear capable of selectively harvesting hatchery salmon while sparing endangered and wild stocks

PORTLAND - To achieve salmon recovery and leverage record investments in habitat, hatchery and hydro improvements, Coastal Conservation Association is asking the Oregon legislature to swiftly implement selective harvest reform through HB 2579, which would re-legalize the use of commercial fishing gear capable of selectively harvesting hatchery salmon while sparing endangered and wild stocks.

CCA Opposes Power Grab

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Senate bill will cripple Fish and Wildlife Commission

OLYMPIA - A bill supported by the commercial fishing industry is threatening to effectively dismantle the voter-mandated Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission and centralize the oversight of the state's fish and wildlife resources into the hands of a select few. If passed into law, SSB 5127 would represent a radical shift in philosophy from the current citizen-driven Commission management structure and prevent Washingtonians from having any meaningful say in the policies and rules governing their natural resources.

Colville Tribes' Selective Fishing Gear Tests Show Low Wild Summer Chinook Mortality

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0700

by Staff, Columbia Basin Bulletin

Central Washington's Colville Tribes have seen early successes in tests of selective fishing gear that they say can increase the viability of wild salmon populations by allowing increased spawner escapement and lessening the straying of hatchery fish on to spawning grounds.

The tribe is now encouraging others -- sport and commercial fishers on the lower Columbia River, in particular -- to jump on board.

CCA calls for end to night gillnetting

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0700

BY ALLEN THOMAS
COLUMBIAN STAFF WRITER

The Coastal Conservation Association is calling for an end to night-hours gillnetting in the lower Columbia River.

Ed Wickersham, chairman of the Government Relations Committee of CCA-Washington, told the Columbia River Compact last week that the old arguments for commercial fishing at night are no longer valid.

Brothers to pay $150,000 in Columbia River fishing fines

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0700

By John Killen, The Oregonian
-- The Associated Press

Four brothers have agreed through a plea bargain to pay $150,000 in fines for commercial fishing offenses on the Columbia River.

The investigation by Oregon State Police wildlife officers extended from October 2005 to January 2007.

Advocacy group sets sights on regional fishing policy

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The Oregonian

A s salmon issues in Oregon and Washington veer toward a possible legislative meltdown next spring, there's a new player in the game.

In the year since it has emerged across communities in the two states, the Coastal Conservation Association has become a force to be reckoned with.

Coastal Conservation Association Offers Reward for Fish Thieves

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Unique program designed to encourage the reporting and prosecution of illegal activities that compromise native and wild fish

Vancouver, WA - Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), in support of efforts by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Program, is initiating a reward program that is intended to raise awareness regarding the conservation of endangered and wild salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon in the Lower Columbia River.

Tribes, Idaho Urge Lower River Chinook Harvest Impacts Be Spread Out Over Full Season

Mon, 01 Jan 1900 00:00:00 -0700

The tribes, and IDFG, say the current state management of sport and commercial fisheries in the lower river (below Bonneville Dam) focuses too much fishing on upriver fish during the early season. That emphasis, which results in wild fish mortality as well as hatchery harvest, can tilt the genetic scale and prevent an equitable sharing of the early harvest. For full story click here.