WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/ August 3, 2011
Contact: Doug Milward, (360) 902-2739,
Pat Pattillo, (360) 902-2705
Anglers allowed two chinook in Ilwaco, Westport
OLYMPIA - Beginning Aug. 7, anglers fishing in ocean waters off of Ilwaco (Marine Area 1) and Westport (Marine Area 2) can keep up to two chinook salmon as part of their two-salmon daily limit.
With that change, anglers will be allowed to keep two chinook per day in all four ocean areas. Anglers fishing La Push (Marine Area 3) and Neah Bay (Marine Area 4) have been allowed to keep two chinook salmon as part of their two-salmon daily limit since Aug. 1.
All ocean areas are open to salmon fishing seven days a week. Wild coho must be released in all four areas. Anglers fishing marine areas 3 and 4 are also allowed one additional pink salmon each day.
Pat Pattillo, salmon policy coordinator for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), said the department initially limited anglers coastwide to one chinook as part of a two-salmon daily limit to ensure that the fishery would remain open for the entire season.
"But after five weeks of fishing, enough of the quota remains to allow anglers two chinook per day in the four marine areas without exceeding the recreational catch quota," Pattillo said.
Ocean salmon fisheries are currently scheduled to continue through Sept. 18 in marine areas 2, 3 and 4, and through Sept. 30 in Marine Area 1.
Fishery managers will continue to monitor the ocean salmon fishery throughout the season, and announce any other changes on WDFW’s website at
http://wdfw.wa.gov/ .
Additional information on the ocean fishery, including minimum-size limits and area catch guidelines, is available in WDFW’s Fishing in Washington rules pamphlet, available at
http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations .
