Salmon anglers in the Puget Sound may be able to take advantage of longer seasons and numerous additional opportunities for fishing in 2009, but they will have to release the wild fish that they catch. The State Department of Fish and Wildlife recently released a proposal for a sweeping increase in selective salmon fishing seasons during a Tuesday meeting intended for next year's prime fishing seasons.
The primary concept is to give anglers a better shot at abundant runs of hatchery salmon, while still protecting the struggling runs of coho salmon and Chinook, both of which are extremely endangered. According to Pat Pattillo, the salmon policy lead for the state's Department of Fish and Wildlife, anglers would still be allowed to get their fishing in without putting other species in danger. Biologists are hoping that anglers will catch the hatchery salmon before they split into the river spawning beds, which is where they would breed with wild fish, creating offspring that would have a greater difficulty surviving.
At the same time, biologists are trying to prevent anglers from putting too much pressure on the wild runs of endangered species while they are going after the hatchery fish, which would undo the purpose of the policies. "We are going to be conservative about this," Patillo spoke to a gathering of anglers in the area, along with trollers, charter boat skippers and guides.
Additionally, the proposal is going to open up brand new waters and brand new fishing times for anglers, including selective hatchery Chinook seasons on the ocean that have been long awaited. According to Pattillo, either this year or next year will open up new opportunities for ocean fishing. Ocean anglers have fished hatchery Coho for a number of years following selective fishing rules.
The selective fishing seasons that are being suggested for the Puget Sound are as follows:
- Anglers in Marine areas between 5 and 13, including the South Sound, can fish for salmon from October through April provided that they release any unmarked wild fish.
- Most hatchery fish that have been raised in Washington have a clipped adipose fin, the fatty fin that rests between the tail and the dorsal fin, allowing them to be identified.
- Anglers can fish for hatchery Chinook in Marine area 9 and Marine area 10 during the summer but wild fish must be released.
- The existing June 1 through September 30 selective fishing season for Chinook will be in the South Sound, Marine area 11 and Marine area 13, and will remain in place the same as last year, however fishing in Marine area 11 is going to begin in May instead of on June 1. Marine area 11 rests between Seattle and the Tacoma Narrows Bridges.
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