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.

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.

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.

CCA GAINS OK From Oregon Sec. Of State To Launch Non-Tribal Gill-Net Ban Initiative

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:30:00 -0700

The Coastal Conservation Association on Tuesday gained permission from the Oregon Secretary of State to launch a drive that would ultimately aim to have voters ban the use of gill nets in the state’s waters for the non-tribal, commercial harvest of fish. Full Story

Summer Chinook Catch Best On Record Dating To 1980; Tribal Fishery Approved

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The fishery was approved by the Columbia River Compact, which is made up of representatives of the directors of the Oregon and Washington departments of fish and wildlife. The tribes will be allowed to catch and sell chinook and coho salmon, steelhead, shad, yellow perch, bass, walleye, catfish and carp. They can catch and keep, but can not sell, sockeye salmon. Full Story

Fishing Success Brings Chinook, Sockeye Retention Closures; Anglers’ Sockeye Take Highest Since 1980

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Fishery managers from Oregon and Washington on July 15 announced that the sockeye salmon season on the Columbia River between the Astoria-Megler Bridge near the river mouth and Highway 395 Bridge near Pasco, Wash., as well as the retention of adult chinook downstream from Bonneville Dam, would be closed Monday, July 18 through July 31.

First-ever king cap placed on Gulf of Alaska pollock fishery

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council has voted to establish the first-ever limit on chinook salmon bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska pollock fishery, a news release said.

In 2010 the groundfish fleet caught over 51,000 chinook salmon. This all-time high number reinvigorated a call from coastal Alaskans and members of the NPFMC to pursue a limit for future years. While a limit on chinook bycatch was established for the Bering Sea pollock fishery in 2009, this will be the first salmon bycatch restriction in the Gulf of Alaska pollock fishery.

Click here for the full story

Selective Gear Testing For Commercial Salmon Fishery Encouraging; Might Go Full-Fleet In 2013

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700

If continued testing this year and next proves favorable, the states of Oregon and Washington could launch a full-fleet commercial salmon fishery on the lower Columbia River in late summer-fall of 2013 employing “selective” fishing gear.

Selective Gear Testing For Commercial Salmon Fishery Encouraging; Might Go Full-Fleet In 2013

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Hastings makes another run after gluttonous sea lions

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Kyung M. Song, The Seatle Times

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Doc Hasting is making another attempt to prevent California sea lions from gorging on Columbia River salmon, introducing a bill Tuesday that would allow for killing the most aggressive eaters.

Under the Pasco Republicans bill -- The Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act -- Washington, Oregon and four Columbia River treaty tribes could seek one-year permits for lethal removal of a limited number of sea lions.

Read the full story here.

Mitchell Act Economic Impact: 17 Hatcheries, 70 Million Juveniles, Almost Half The Basin Harvest

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

Lower Columbia hatchery operations funded through the Mitchell Act provide nearly half of the salmon and steelhead caught by sport and commercial fishers in the Columbia River basin, according to the results of a recent study. That hatchery output provides a “substantial” economic boost, particularly to rural communities up and down the Columbia River and along the coast

ENDANGERED SPECIES: Obama admin wont appeal 9th Circuits sea lion ruling

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The Obama administration wont challenge a federal court decision barring the killing of sea lions that prey on endangered salmon in the Columbia River, the National Marine Fisheries Service said yesterday. NMFS officials said they would honor the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling, meaning the agency will have to develop a new approach to curbing sea lions in Oregon and Washington that have been snacking on salmon runs there. NMFS terminated the program last November in the wake of the court ruling.

Lower columbia River sturgeon drop continues

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The Washington and Oregon departments of Fish and Wildlife presented their latest sturgeon data on Tuesday to the Columbia River recreational and commercial advisory groups.

Dam projects improve migration of salmon

Fri, 24 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Improvements at all eight federal Snake and lower Columbia River dams boosted the safe migration of juvenile salmon and steelhead last year, a federal study says. Army Corps of Engineers officials said completion of improvements such as spillway weirs, also called fish slides, help speed young fish downstream past dams by keeping them near the water surface, where they naturally migrate.

Record Bycatch Of Salmon In Gulf Of Alaska Sparks Concern: Impacts On PNW Fish Unknown

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is proposing fast-track measures to address the potential impact of this year’s record bycatch of chinook salmon by pollock boats and commercial fisherman in the Gulf of Alaska.

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.

CCA's comments on NMFS Draft Environmental Impact Statement concerning Columbia River Hatcheries

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0700

NOAA Fisheries comment period ended last week on the draft environmental impact statement on the use of federal funding for hatchery programs. Click here to learn more about the draft plan. The draft plan called for significant cuts in hatchery production. CCA pointed out the benefits of selective fishing as an alternative to reduction in propagation. See CCAs full comments here.

Appeals Court Rejects Lethal Removal Of Salmon-Eating Sea Lions; Remands Issue Back To NMFS

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Tuesday ruled that the federal government in a March 2008 decision failed to explain how the killing of sea lions that prey on salmon below the Columbia River’s Bonneville Dam is consistent with the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

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.

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

Washington and Oregon are spending 2.3 million testing selective fishing methods on the colombia river seeking arternatives to gillnets.

Selective fishing provides opportunity to harvest excess sockeye on Fraser River.

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

The First Nations fishery has been given another chance to catch its quota of Fraser River sockeye. On Wednesday, natives from the mouth of the Fraser at Musqueam as far up the river as Hope were enjoying a three-day fishery, but had to promise to use only gear that wont harm scarce migrating coho stocks. "Were using beach seines which gather up the salmon and make it easy for our fishermen to reach in and release the coho in the catch", explained Sto: lo fisheries adviser Ernie Crey.

Wild Release: Colville Confederated Tribes Selective Salmon Harvest

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

Great video of selective fishing in action.

CCA and the Sportsman Channel Partner to Support Gulf Region Recovery Efforts

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700

New Berlin, Wis. (August 31, 2010) Sportsman Channel, the leader in outdoor TV for the American Sportsman, today announced the network is available in both SD and HD as an a la carte option on DISH Network Ch. 395. In an effort to raise awareness and funds for Gulf regions working to recover from the recent oil spill disaster, Sportsman Channel will funnel this years proceeds from the a la carte pricing to a special Sportsmans Fund created with the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) to benefit Gulf coast habitat restoration and research. CCA is one of the largest non]profit marine conservation groups in America. See the Press Release Here

Sportfishing and Boating Community Continue to Call for Public Access in New National Ocean Policy

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

CCA and other organizations issued a joint Press Release on July 21st, 2010 calling for public access in the Obama Administrations new national ocean policy. You can view the press release here.

Columbia River Basin Sockeye

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The overall 2010 Columbia River basin sockeye salmon return and its small, endangered Snake River component are now setting records. See the full story here.

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.

Icelands salmon season opens with bumper catches!

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The Pacific Northwest could learn something from Icelandic salmon harvest management. By focusing on maximum escapement and abundance instead of minimum survival, and by eliminating gillnets Iceland's salmon populations are at historic highs. Read the full story here.

Pacific Salmons Deranged Geographies

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

In this story by Joseph Taylor, the High County News covers the recent "Avoid" labeling of Oregon/California wild caught salmon by the Seafood Guide and asks: Why isn't the same standard applied to the Columbia River? See the full story here.

Fish face-off - A proposal to ban gillnets in Oregon has commercial fishermen up in arms.

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

High Country News covers Columbia River salmon issues and CCAs goal of implementing selective fisheries. Click here to see the full story by Lee Van Der Loo.

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.

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.

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.

Address the crisis - Fishing industry leaders petition administration to fix mismanagement

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0700

By Robert Montgomery ESPNOutdoors.com
WASHINGTON — Concurrent with the Feb. 24 United We Fish rally, a coalition of fishing industry leaders called on the Obama administration to address a crisis within the federal fisheries management system.

Coalition seeks to avoid fisheries management “train wreck”

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Overwhelmed agency incapable of properly implementing law Passage of the 2006 Magnuson-Stevens Act, the overarching law that manages America’s marine fisheries, revealed crippling deficiencies within the agency charged with implementing the law. Recently, a coalition of marine angling and industry groups launched an effort to improve the National Marine Fisheries Service’s efforts to manage the nation’s marine resources and the 13 million saltwater anglers who depend on healthy fisheries.

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

Fisheries board restricts Yukon salmon gillnets

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Fisheries board restricts Yukon salmon gillnets The Associated Press Published: February 1st, 2010 10:49 PM Last Modified: February 1st, 2010 10:49 PM FAIRBANKS --

The Alaska Board of Fisheries voted to prohibit subsistence and commercial fishermen on the Yukon River from using gillnets with a mesh larger than 7.5 inches, an effort to help rebuild the king salmon run. Most fishermen on the Yukon use nets with 8.5-inch mesh to target big kings.

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.

CCA Helps Launch Ballot Initiative to Recover Oregon’s Iconic Salmon Runs

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0700

PORTLAND – Coastal Conservation Association is launching a ballot initiative to help save the last remnants of Oregon’s iconic wild salmon runs, and to create a sustainable salmon fishery for current and future generations. The Protect Our Salmon Act would ban the use of gill nets and tangle nets in Oregon waters, including the Columbia River.

For more information, see our Briefing Document.

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.

Lower Columbia Smelt, White Sturgeon Fishing Seasons Reflect Declining Populations

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

Fishing seasons that begin in the new year on the lower Columbia River mainstem are designed to keep the eulachon (smelt) harvest to a minimum, and the allowable white sturgeon catch in 2010 will be less than in recent years, though it is yet to be determined how much less.

Lower Columbia Smelt, White Sturgeon Fishing Seasons Reflect Declining Populations

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

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.

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.”

Can salmon evolve to survive among fish-killing dams?

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

By Matthew Preusch, The Oregonian

Dams hurt salmon, robbing them of free-flowing rivers and confusing them on their celebrated, circuitous life journey.

But maybe the fish can take it.

CCA Questions Obama Administration’s Ocean Policy

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Task Force omission of recreational angling a glaring flaw

HOUSTON, TX - A recently issued report of the White House Interagency Ocean Task Force has caused widespread concern among America's recreational anglers. Released just weeks after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) promised to take a "fresh look" at the federal agency's relationship with recreational anglers, the Interim Report threatens to fast-track sweeping reforms for the management of resources in federal waters...

No surprise: Salmon most expensive endangered species

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

By Matthew Preusch, The Oregonian

Steven Nehl/The OregonianVisitors watch Chinook salmon swim through the fish ladder at Bonneville Dam in 2005. Chinook, also called king salmon, received the most taxpayer money for recovery in 2007, according to a new report.Scientific American has the story on a federal report tallying the costs of recovering wildlife listed as threatened and endangered.

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.

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.

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.

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.

NOAA catch-share program threatens recreational angling

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

CCA questions federal program of resource giveaways

In a letter to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Special Advisor Monica Medina, Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) voiced opposition to a federal fisheries management initiative that gives fixed percentages of various fisheries to commercial fishers. CCA acknowledged that the concept, known as a catch-share program, can be effective in purely commercial fisheries, but stressed that it presents serious problems when applied to fisheries that have both commercial and recreational participation.

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.

Saving Wild & Endagered Fish form Extinction

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Fundamental Change in Management Needed to End Overharvest, Conserve, and Restore

Wild salmon and steelhead are majestic icons of the Pacific Northwest and a vital part of our heritage. Despite expending nearly $1 billion annually to protect and restore this precious resource, many wild and native runs remain on a precipitous decline. The National Marine Fisheries Service estimates that about 450 distinct Northwest wild salmon and steelhead runs have disappeared since the early 1800's and in the Columbia-Snake River system alone, 51% of the historic runs are already extinct. With many of the remaining runs edging closer to extinction, this environmental crisis demands a swift and fundamental change in priorities...

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.

Oregon v. Heuker Bros. Inc.: Case documents from a 2 year investigation of illegal Columbia River gillnet fishing

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

The following links direct you to Affidavits and other documents from an extensive investigation by Oregon State Police (OSP) of unlawful commercial fishing activities on the Columbia River by Heuker Brothers Inc. a family owned commercial fishing business consisting of a father and five sons

Process or Proclamation? From the South Atlantic to the western Pacific, federal marine management is a study in contrasts

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The United States has acted twice this week to impose restrictions on vast sections of ocean, dictating the future accessibility of those important resources. One action took years of scientific study and required dozens of public meetings attended by hundreds of concerned citizens, and thousands of hours of effort and organization before being implemented. The other took just months and was accomplished by the stroke of a pen. Taken together, the two recent marine management actions have cast a confusing net over the world of federal fisheries management.

Center for Coastal Conservation sets sail at ICAST

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

LAS VEGAS, NV - Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) was among several prominent marine conservation, boating and tackle industry associations gathered to announce the creation of the Center for Coastal Conservation (the Center) at the ICAST show in Las Vegas this week. The Center has been built to participate directly in elective politics and promote the conservation ideals of recreational angling to the lawmakers who make many of the key decisions in fisheries management.

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.

CCA Testifies Before Congress against Fish Pirates

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Remarks focus on need for market controls to combat IUU fishing

April 23, 2008 - WASHINGTON, DC - CCA General Counsel Robert G. Hayes testified before the House Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans today, and called on Congress to initiate agreements to control the international markets for seafood to put an end to IUU fishing.

Gary Loomis to give informational talks about Coastal Conservation Association chapters in the Pacific Northwest

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700

AUGUST 2007 - WOODLAND, WA - The fast-growing Pacific Northwest chapters of the Coastal Conservation Association continue their membership recruiting drive with a series of information sessions by PNW Chairman Gary Loomis. Just six months after a handful of concerned anglers brought CCA to the Northwest, membership exceeds 1500 and shows no signs of slowing.

Coastal Conservation Association Expands to Pacific Northwest

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

Decision creates coast-to-coast conservation association

HOUSTON, TX - Coastal Conservation Association, the nation's largest marine resource conservation group, announced today that the organization will expand its operations to the U.S. Pacific Northwest to address a variety of conservation issues, including problems within the salmon fishery.

Local Leaders Set to Guide Conservation Efforts

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

Officers and Directors elected to lead fast-growing Pacific Northwest CCA chapters

WOODLAND, WA - Not long ago, a group of concerned anglers from Oregon and Washington with an urgent need to take a more active role in the management of their marine resources contacted Coastal Conservation Association. Just six months later, CCA Washington and CCA Oregon are officially open for business and proud to announce the election of officers and directors to lead the attack on a variety of conservation issues in the region, particularly salmon.