Friday meeting What: The March meeting of the seven-member Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. When: 8 a.m. Friday. Where: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife headquarters, 3406 Cherry Ave. NE, Salem (the northeast corner of Cherry and Salem Parkway, entrance off Cherry). Contact: (503) 947-6044. NEXT UP What: Hearings in Oregon, Washington and California held by the Pacific Fishery Management Council to take comments about the proposed ocean salmon seasons. Oregon: 7 p.m. March 26 in the South Umpqua Room, Red Lion Hotel, 1313 N Bayshore Drive, Coos Bay. Others: March 26 in Westport, Wash., and March 27 in Santa Rosa, Calif. Online: Commission agenda: www.dfw.state.or.us/agency/commission/minutes Pacific Fishery Management Council: www.pcouncil.org

Commission to discuss coho season

There are three options for along the central coast

Statesman Journal

March 14, 2007

Members of the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will get their first look at ocean coho salmon fishing options Friday when they meet in Salem.

Last Friday, the Pacific Fishery Management Council, after a weeklong series of meetings the past week in Sacramento, Calif., released three potential options for sport fishing for hatchery fin-clipped coho salmon off the central Oregon Coast.

In the ocean between Cape Falcon near Manzanita on the north coast to the California border, the allowed catch could be as high as 50,000 fish under the most liberal option to 15,000 under the most restrictive.

Here are the highlights of the three:

Option 1: Fishing opens Thursday for all salmon except coho and runs through Oct. 31.

From Falcon to Humbug Mountain near Port Orford, fishing for hatchery coho would open June 23 and run through Sept. 16, and from Humbug south to the California border, the run would be June 23 to Sept. 4, or the landing of 50,000 hatchery coho, whichever comes first.

Option 2: Fishing also opens Thursday for all salmon except coho and runs through Oct. 31 with a 24-inch minimum size on chinook.

The total allowed catch of hatchery coho would be 40,000, with fishing allowed seven days per week June 23 through Sept. 16 from Humbug to Falcon and June 23 to Sept. 5 south of Humbug to California, or until the allowed catch is landed.

Option 3: Fishing opens Thursday through Sept. 19 for all salmon except coho.

The quota would be 15,000 hatchery coho with fishing open daily June 23 to Aug. 19 from Falcon south, except the ocean south of Humbug to California would be closed July 5-14.

One hatchery coho per day would be allowed in the two-salmon bag limit.

If any fish remain in the allowed catch after Aug. 19, a mop-up season would be open Sept. 1-9 or until all of the allowed coho are landed.

Under all three options, the restrictions at Stonewall Banks, a popular bottomfish and halibut reef off of Newport, that are designed to protect rockfish would remain in force.

Elsewhere, under all three options listed by the council for the area north of Cape Falcon, the popular Buoy 10 fishery at the mouth of the Columbia River will open Aug. 1.

After a series of public meetings in Oregon, Washington and Northern California, the council will meet April 1-6 in Seattle to adopt salmon seasons subject to approval by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission then will vote on adopting salmon seasons and rules at its April 13 meeting in Salem.

Other items on the commission's Friday agenda include:

Discussion and votes on Access and Habitat and Fish Restoration and Enhancement programs that have been recommended for approval.

• Consideration and a vote on a request to adopt rules that would apply to the Oregon Coast Coho Conservation Plan.
• Receive and listen to presentations about the Salmon Trout Enhancement Program and Salmon Trout Advisory Committee annual report.
• During the lunch break, viewing and selection of the winning entry in the state's 2007 Upland (bird) Stamp Art Competition is scheduled.