Newport News-Times: Commercial salmon fleet will set out earlier this season

Commercial salmon fleet will set out earlier this season; Federal disaster aid for 2006 season within reach

By Terry Dillman Of the News-Times

March 15, 2007

Commercial salmon fishermen will get a whole lot more fishing time than they did during last year's devastating closure. The commercial salmon season will open April 10 and likely last for most of the year.

During the Pacific Fishery Management Council's session held from March 4-9 in Sacramento, council members discussed a variety of marine resource issues and begin to set fishing limits off the coasts of Oregon, Washington, and California, including 2007 salmon management options. Commercial and recreational salmon seasons are split into areas north and south of Cape Falcon, with three catch options developed for each area. Public hearings to receive comments on the 2007 salmon management options derived from those sessions are scheduled for March 26-27.

The Oregon hearing is set for Monday, March 26 at 7 p.m. at the Red Lion Inn's South Umpqua Room in Coos Bay.

Comment period ends April 3 during the PFMC meeting in Seattle, where council members will adopt 2007 management measures for implementation by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Commercial trollers say they welcome any improvement over last season's gutting. With commercial salmon fishing completely closed between Florence and the California-Oregon border and only limited openings from Florence to Washington, Oregon trollers brought in just 34,964 fish in 2006. But while this year should bring a dramatic improvement, the catch is unlikely to get anywhere near the levels of the halcyon 2003 season, when Oregon ocean commercial Chinook catches reached 331,900 fish - one of the best hauls ever.

The focus, fishery managers said, is to end up with an economically viable fishery providing "a premium product for the longest time" - one featuring price stability for everyone concerned.

While the news is good for Oregon and California salmon fishers, Washington's commercial fleet faces drastic cutbacks this season. Expected runs of Columbia River fall Chinook are so poor, commercial and recreational fishermen from Cape Falcon northward will face a combined catch limit of no more than 36,000 fish.

Last season's abrupt closure little more than a week before the March 15 opener caught Oregon's commercial salmon fleet unaware, saddling them with the costs of boat preparation with no catch to sell and pay those costs. Despite a federal disaster declaration, attempts to get federal aid to offset those losses languished. It now appears that their long wait might be over.

Disaster aid possible

Although state and federal officials declared the 2006 season a disaster, they're still working on a way to garnish federal money for West Coast fishing families. A glimmer of hope emerged with March 14-15 announcements from U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) and U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-Ore.) announced the inclusion of $60.4 million in disaster funding for salmon fishermen in both the Senate and House versions of an emergency supplemental bill being crafted, with promises to see the appropriation through to the final version.

The Secretary of Commerce issued a commercial fishery failure declaration under the Magnuson-Stevens Act on Aug. 10, 2006, but despite the best efforts of Wyden, Hooley, and Smith, Congress failed to appropriate funding before adjourning in December. It marked just the second time in U.S. history for declaration of a fishery disaster prior to the end of the season. The closure itself was the largest ever, all but eliminating commercial salmon fishing along 700 miles of Oregon and California coastline.

"A season without work can seem like an eternity for folks who are struggling to pay bills and put food on the table," said Wyden. "This aid is critical. It's a matter of survival."

On Jan. 4, 2007, the 10 West Coast members of Congress introduced the Pacific Salmon Emergency Disaster Assistance Act of 2007, which would authorize distribution of $60.4 million in disaster relief to salmon fishers, tribes, and related businesses hurt by the 2006 salmon fishery failure. They have since lobbied for including the funding in the emergency supplemental bill.

"We will do everything we can to secure this long-awaited funding," noted Smith. "Struggling fishermen and businesses will use it to recover from last year's closure."

"If the economic disaster strangling our coastal communities due to last year's commercial fishery failure doesn't qualify as an emergency, then I don't know what does," Hooley said. "These communities are being threatened due to federal policy, not overfishing, and they deserve our help."

Terry Dillman is a reporter for the News-Times. He can be reached at (541) 265-8571 ext. 225, or terrydillman@newportnewstimes.com.