Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) fishery managers have developed three options for salmon quotas and recreational fishing dates for Washington’s 2021 ocean salmon fisheries, ranging from a season much like last year’s to no season at all.
Option 1: Quota of 28,000 Chinook and 75,200 marked coho. This option includes early-season Chinook fisheries in June in all areas, followed by Chinook and marked coho fisheries through the rest of the summer.
Westport, La Push and Neah Bay (Marine Areas 2, 3 and 4): June 19-July 3 Chinook fishery, July 4-Sept. 30 Chinook and marked coho fishery.
Columbia River Area (Marine Area 1): June 14-27 Chinook fishery, June 28-Sept. 30 Chinook and marked coho fishery.
Option 2: Quota of 25,000 Chinook and 95,600 marked coho. In this option, a higher portion of the coho quota is assigned to the Columbia River Area.
La Push and Neah Bay (Marine Areas 3 and 4): June 19-25 Chinook fishery, June 26-Sept. 30 Chinook and marked coho fishery.
Columbia River Area and Westport (Marine Areas 1 and 2): June 19-26 Chinook only fishery, June 27-Sept. 30 Chinook and marked coho fishery.
Option 3: This option would close all ocean areas to salmon fishing. Queets and other coastal rivers are expected to have poor returns of natural coho this year. Queets River coho were the subject of a rebuilding plan as a result of low escapement over a number of years and are projected to return below their escapement floor again in 2021.
Daily limits and days open to fishing each week vary between areas and between the options. Last year, the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC) adopted recreational ocean fishing quotas for the Washington Coast of 26,360 Chinook and 26,500 coho.
“The options are crafted with quota levels designed to address the conservation needs of the coastal coho stocks and Puget Sound Chinook stocks while still trying to provide opportunities for anglers to access more abundant stocks in ocean areas,” said Kyle Adicks, salmon fisheries policy lead for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. “Conservation of weak and depressed natural stocks will continue to impact how salmon seasons shape up this year.”
Fisheries managers use the public’s feedback on the various options to negotiate a final season among states and tribes represented at PFMC that rarely mirrors a specific initial option but is refined to incorporate preferences shared by the public, according to Fish and Wildlife.
Public hearing
Under any of these scenarios the department will monitor the number of salmon caught by recreational anglers and may close earlier than the above dates if quotas are met. There will be a public hearing on the alternatives at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 23. When a link to the online hearing is available it will be posted at pcouncil.org.
Chinook and coho quotas and seasons approved by the PFMC will be part of a comprehensive 2021 salmon-fishing package, which includes marine and freshwater fisheries throughout Washington. State and tribal co-managers are currently developing Puget Sound and Columbia River fishery proposals. State and tribal co-managers will complete the tentative 2021 salmon fisheries package in conjunction with the PFMC during its April 6-9 and 12-15 meeting.
Several additional public meetings are scheduled in March and April to discuss regional salmon fisheries. Meeting dates and links can be found at wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/management/north-falcon/public-meetings.
In addition to attending virtual meetings, the public can provide comments on proposed fisheries at: wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/management/north-falcon/public-input.
