Gillnetters targeting Declining Willapa Bay Sturgeon

[7GillOutfitters]

Mixed emotions.
 As we speak there is a gillnet opener on the Willapa River where they are targeting sturgeon. This is so frustrating to me as a conservationist. We know these fish are in dire straits, but human's thirst for revenue is driving us to continue our ways. I feel for the fishermen who have invested their hard earned dollars to their business, they are only following regulations set by the agency. It is just so frustrating that this continues. I felt that Sturgeon should have went Catch and Release this year. If we know they are in serious decline, then why harvest any. It is going to take just that much longer to bring them back, if that's even possible.

[Bullkllr]

Un-flippin-believable!

After the whole controversy/virtual shut-down (and coming total shut-down) of the sport fishery on the Columbia, they're allowing an actual targeted gillnet fishery ?? WTF?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't about all of the sturgeon from the Washington coast all spawn in the Columbia- they dip into Willapa, Chehalis etc., but spawn in the Columbia. If so they are the same threatened stocks.

Management of our resources in this state is seriously messed up - as if we needed yet another example to prove it

[cohoho]

Unreal, just goes to show it is not really about the fish at all...  They really IMO could give two rats about saving these fish. 

[lokidog]

There should be no commercial fisheries on any stock of fish that have any issues.  We all know that sportfishing dollars are much greater per pound of fish than commercial ones.....   

[Gringo31]

It's about the money.  If its all C&R you still buy a license.  Don't try to figure them out. It will just piss you off

At least they're consistent