Chinook season over, but dissatisfaction lingers

For a change, commercial and recreational salmon fishermen found cause to agree at a town hall meeting in Cathlamet May 7.

They told representatives of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife that fishermen on the lower Columbia were shortchanged in the 2008 spring season, and they want the department to negotiate harder for them in the future.

The fish and wildlife departments of Washington and Oregon managed recreational and commercial salmon fishing on the Columbia through an agreement called the Columbia River Compact.

This year, with biologists predicting a very weak run of hatchery, not wild, fish on the Willamette River, the compact limited angling to 12 days below the Interstate 5 bridge at Vancouver and gave gillnetters only three openings. However, they allowed Oregon to keep the Willamette open to continuous fishing on the threatened run until just recently.

They also allowed heavy recreational fishing between the I-5 Bridge and Bonneville Dam, and anglers exceeded the quota given them.

Cindy LaFleur, WDFW Columbia River Policy Coordinator, added that the prediction for upriver fish was much higher than normal, so managers wanted to offer an opportunity to catch those fish.

"Both states' fish and wildlife commissions were dealing with having to develop a new policy for handling the upriver fish," she said.

Oregon managers initially wanted no fishing at all below the mouth of the Willamette, she said, but Washington managers were adamant that there be some opportunity, and that led to the 12 days, she said.

WDFW Regional Director Guy Norman added that WDFW realizes the limited fishing had severe impacts along the lower river. Also, the two states try to have complimentary regulations to ease enforcement issues on both sides of the river.

The same situation could likely occur with the 2009 spring run, he said, but, "We will go into discussions with Oregon in terms of advocating for more time on the lower river," he said.

"It was a very difficult decision making process," commented Naselle resident Miranda Wacker, a member of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission. "It was one of the most difficult I've made in my life. There were many sleepless nights.

"Knowing how all this turned out, we will go forward in a different way," LaFleur said.

Public officials and private citizens outlined the impacts of the limited season.

"The Elochoman Slough Marina sustained a $17,000 loss in what it normally collects during a spring season," said David Goodroe, executive director of the Lower Columbia Economic Development Council. With a ripple effect, the impact to the community could grow to $250,000, he said.

Richard Erickson, a member of the LCEDC board of directors, added that impact through jobs would be similar to King County losing Microsoft.

"Commercial fishing is the fourth largest employer in the county," he said. "We're talking about jobs and livelihoods here."

In written comments Tuesday for the Wahkiakum County board of commissioners, Longview fish buyer Robert Sudar said he purchased 90 chinooks for $10,961 during the season from gillnetters and sold them to restaurants and grocery stores. "In total, those 90 chinook generated about $33,611 in direct sales at the retail level," he said.

Overall, the 5,952 commercially caught salmon had an economic impact of $1.4 million, said commercial fisherman Kent Martin.

Several speakers commented that they felt the allocations and seasons were set to benefit anglers and guides in the Portland area at the expense of other fishermen.

Martin on Tuesday urged Wahkiakum County commissioners to work with colleagues in Pacific and Clatsop counties to advocate for a better representation of lower river interests.

Wahkiakum commissioners had sponsored the meeting and are being supporting of lower river rights.

"When you look at the economic conditions, we can't see something like this happen again," said Commissioner Dan Cothren. "This has got to stop. We just can't go through this again."

"Urban areas get it; rural areas don't," said Commissioner George Trott. "We need to stand up for ourselves."