Officials say next
salmon season uncertain
By Joel Gallob of the News-Times
September 22, 2006
The Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife is "preparing for the worst and hoping for something
better" for the 2007 salmon season, Assistant Fish Division Administrator
Curt Melcher reported this week. "We don't have the 2007 run size
predictions, and won't have them until late February 2007," he stated.
However, "Based on the poor forecast of all Klamath fall Chinook age
classes in 2006, it is reasonable to expect the stock size in 2007 will be
low, but it is far too early to say whether it will be better or worse than
2006."
The department, he stated, has taken several steps, in preparation for 2007
that will "hopefully put us in a better position, regardless of stock
size" for that season.
The regulators have reduced the fall fisheries in federal waters, since this
fishery's impact on Klamath Chinook is accounted for in the following year's
management cycle. "By minimizing impacts during September and October, we
retain more flexibility for next year's spring/summer fishery," he
explained.
ODFW also developed additional
terminal fishery opportunities in state waters for 2006 and the agency,
Melcher stated, expects to review their performance and consider expanding
them as may be appropriate next year.
Terminal fisheries are similar to, but larger than, the bubble fisheries that
were adopted to moderate the impact of the near-closure of the commercial
salmon season this summer. Bubble fisheries are small fisheries around the
mouth of coastal rivers, where the salmon to be found are mainly those coming
from that river, making the area an unlikely source of unwanted Klamath
Chinook catch. Terminal fisheries are larger regional fisheries that generally
include two or three rivers fairly close to each other. Each such terminal
fishery would have its own opening and closing dates, quotas and goals for
returning fish numbers (known as escapement goals). As with bubble fisheries,
the idea is to enable salmon fishing in specific areas where there is reason
to believe the fishing unlikely to impact Klamath salmon.
In addition, Melcher explained, ODFW regulators and scientists have begun work
on genetic stock identification that in future years, beyond 2007, "may
help us identify stock specific distribution patterns in the ocean and that
will hopefully allow us to better manage the fishery by maximizing harvest of
healthy stocks while avoiding weak stocks."
Joel Gallob is a reporter for the News-Times. He can be reached at 265-8571
ext. 223, or joel.gallob@lee.net.
