Gillnetters allowed to keep the wild run of Salmon on the Columbia?

[Annette]

Is it true??? I was just told by a gill netter himself.

[WSU]

Yes, depending on the run.  Realistically, they cannot release fish with much success (if any depending on species, time, and location)anyway.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Theres a lot of tribal hatcheries that do not clip fins.

[3boys]

Is it true??? I was just told by a gill netter himself.

There dead anyways. That's one of the dirty little secrets of commercial fishing when it comes to by-catch. Anything you pull up should go towards your quota. If they are catching too many they should pull up or move. The long liners and bottom draggers toss back more then they keep. Up to 90% of the catch will be tossed back. As much as I despise the gill netters keeping them it would be worse if they tossed them back dead. 

[allen]

Sports fishers in the Lower Columbia have to release wild Chinook, natives & commercials do not.  This is not an endangered run & the reason we (sports fishers) have to release them is just to give us more fishing days before reaching our quota.

WDFW thinks we prefer the longer season even though we're having to release about 50% of them.  I've written them & told them I'd prefer the opposite, let us keep them even though it would mean a shorter season.

I live near the Lower Columbia & can fish it basically anytime, but when I have friends come from out of the area once or twice a year, people who don't catch many salmon, it's heart breaking to have to release 20lb plus June hog that everyone else (meaning commercials & natives) can keep.

If you agree with me let WDFW know.

Allen

[allen]

Not only that but a percentage of the ones we release count against our quota too.  I guess it's based on the estimated  mortality rate of released fish.  Kinda adds insult to injury, you can't keep the fish but it still counts against the quota.

[Annette]

  this is all NUTS!