CA Cancels Salmon Fishing Season - WA & OR Next?

[HUNTIN4SIX]

After “working on the inside” for years, I don’t see much hope.  Salmon hatcheries for 12 yrs and trout for 13 yrs.  I have watched the wild salmon thing creep in, along with special interest “constituents” WDFW feels they needs to appease.  Hatchery production has been cut in half since the late 90’s.  WDFW’s perspective has drastically changed.  I assure everyone the sportsman are the last on the list.

[metlhead]

I will fish. I will hunt.

[bigdub257]

I will fish. I will hunt.

 

[metlhead]

Growing up in the '70s, surrounded by some of the most hardcore steelhead guys one would ever know, I find our dwindling opportunities disheartening. Heck, my dad quit fishing the rivers in the early '90s because he wasn't gonna waste a whole morning to hook only a half dozen fish. They saw reductions coming in spite of massive hatchery output and return. I believe now, we can almost see the end. It is a shame to cut out the consumer group that funds a large part of what is still available. Like we taught our local community children that for years did water quality, Stream Team, River of Words, and cleanup, folks that do not get to enjoy a resource will eventually not care about it. The same will happen with the salmon. Watch the State try to bring em back then.

[Bullkllr]

Growing up in the '70s, surrounded by some of the most hardcore steelhead guys one would ever know, I find our dwindling opportunities disheartening. Heck, my dad quit fishing the rivers in the early '90s because he wasn't gonna waste a whole morning to hook only a half dozen fish. They saw reductions coming in spite of massive hatchery output and return. I believe now, we can almost see the end. It is a shame to cut out the consumer group that funds a large part of what is still available. Like we taught our local community children that for years did water quality, Stream Team, River of Words, and cleanup, folks that do not get to enjoy a resource will eventually not care about it. The same will happen with the salmon. Watch the State try to bring em back then.

That's pretty much my story and I agree with your conclusion. Recovery has been mostly virtue signalling lip-service. The state will be happy with remnant/ghosted populations of wild fish. Then they can sell permits for city dwellers and newcomers to go look at orcas and sea lions.

[JimmyHoffa]

I did read a few places that Oregon has decided to shutdown salmon south of Cape Falcon.
I'd guess that all the people that want to fish will head to what remains open....and those places will close early.

[pianoman9701]

And we're still not culling sea lions.

[metlhead]

Why cull sea lions? They are one reason we supplement with hatchery fish. Salmon are for them. It is worrisome that many more folks will come north, increasing total catch. State is sure to hit the panic button again.

[Stein]

Why cull sea lions? They are one reason we supplement with hatchery fish. Salmon are for them. It is worrisome that many more folks will come north, increasing total catch. State is sure to hit the panic button again.

How do the sea lions know to only eat hatchery fish?

We created an artificial environment that allowed furbags populations to explode and coupled that with things like small holes in dams that allow them to hunt far more effectively than in the wild which then further increases their numbers.

Look at the studies out there, furbags are at the top of the list of things that kill salmon.  They are one of the few things on the list we could do something about today and effect this fall's run.

[metlhead]

Me thinks too much serious abo

ut a dead horse.