Salem, Ore. – The Fish and Wildlife Commission today adopted regulations establishing ocean sport and commercial salmon seasons for 2007 off the Oregon coast. In addition, modifications were made to the fall salmon bag limits in the Columbia River.

There’s good news for anglers. Because of a better than expected return of coho salmon to the Columbia River, fishing in the ocean between Leadbetter Point and Cape Falcon will be open seven-days-a-week. The coho salmon quota for the ocean off the Columbia River is nearly 60,000 and an additional 50,000 coho may be caught off the Oregon coast south of Cape Falcon.

“This is more than double what the coho quota was last year and gives fishermen plenty of opportunity to catch fish,” said Curt Melcher, assistant fis division administrator.

An important change in the 2007 sport regulations is that the minimum length for chinook salmon caught in the ocean is now 24 inches.

The adopted rules, which will be published in May and distributed through ODFW offices and license agents, include:

• In the ocean from Leadbetter Point, Wash., south to Cape Falcon, near Manzanita, Ore., the salmon season is open seven-days-a-week, July 1 to Sept. 30, or until the 58,800 coho quota has been reached. The allowed bag limit is two salmon per day, only one of which may be a chinook. Retained coho must have a healed adipose fin-clip.

• In the ocean from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain, the salmon season is open seven-days-a-week, March 15 to Oct. 31, for all salmon except coho. For the harvest of coho, the season is open June 23 to Sept. 16, until the 50,000 coho quota has been reached. Retained coho must have a healed adipose fin-clip. Anglers are reminded that beginning May 1, the minimum size for chinook salmon is 24-inches.

• In the ocean from Humbug Mountain, south to Horse Mountain, Calif., the salmon season is open seven-days-a-week May 5 to Sept. 4, for all salmon except coho. For the harvest of coho, the season is open June 23 – Sept. 16, or until the 50,000 coho quota between Cape Falcon and the California-Oregon border has been reached. Retained coho must have a healed adipose fin-clip.

• For the recreational fishery from Buoy 10 upstream to Tongue Point, the season is open Aug. 1 to Dec. 31, for adipose fin-clipped coho salmon. Chinook salmon may only be kept from Aug. 22 to Sept. 3. The daily bag limit of two salmon may include only one chinook.

• For the Columbia River recreational fishery, from Tongue Point upstream to the mouth of the Lewis River, he chinook season is open from Aug. 1 to Sept. 4, and from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31. The daily bag limit of two salmon may include only one chinook.

• For the Columbia River recreational fishery, from the mouth of the Lewis River upstream to Bonneville Dam, the chinook season is open Aug. 1 to Dec.31, with a one chinook daily bag limit. The daily bag limit of two salmon may include only one chinook.

• For the Columbia River summer chinook salmon season, fishermen will have opportunities above and below Bonneville Dam.

• For the Columbia River between Tongue Point and Bonneville Dam, the summer chinook season is open June 16 to June 30. The daily bag limit is two chinook.

• For the Columbia River between Bonneville Dam and the Ore/Wash border (above McNary Dam), he summer chinook season is open June 16 to July 31. The aily bag limit is two chinook.

Complete regulations may be found at: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/salmon/index.html

 

Peregrine falcons de-listed

In what Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission Chair Marla Rae described as history in the making, the Commission de-listed the peregrine falcon from the state Endangered Species Act. Representatives from the Portland Audubon Society and the Oregon Falconers Association and other stakeholders testified in support of the de-listing. 

The Commissioners agreed with ODFW’s staff biological assessment showing that peregrine falcons meet the criteria to be de-listed. The population will continue to be monitored by state and federal wildlife agencies and by volunteers in the extension of a government-citizen joint effort that was praised by Commissioner Dan Edge as vital to conservation efforts.

The Commission approved new management plans for two ODFW-managed wildlife areas, Jewell Meadows located in the town of Jewell and Wenaha located near Troy. Final consideration of a management plan for the third area originally scheduled for review, Fern Ridge in Eugene, was postponed until October. The department wants to conclude a re-licensing process with the U.S. Army Corps f Engineers before adopting a management plan for Fern Ridge.