puget sound sturgeon closure

[jumpin]

Somebody help me.  I heard that the game Dept. Traded our Sport Quotas for commercial and Tribal Longlining. 10 Keepers per day for tribe members? 

[FC]

True.

[autopilot70]

The Snohomish isn't even open for catch and release until June 1st. There were a couple boats fishing illegally Today though.

[singleshot12]

Yep, they let the sportsfishermen fish the crap out of them last couple years taking most of the keeper size. And now the Indians are allowed to take the rest(the big ones)    It's amazing such a good fishery went down the drain so fast

[Chase 1]

Somebody help me.  I heard that the game Dept. Traded our Sport Quotas for commercial and Tribal Longlining. 10 Keepers per day for tribe members? 

Not exactly, but here is a brief overview... The WDFW attempted to close PS and all tributaries for sturgeon retention...period. They sited conservation of Columbia stock as the main reason and also made the assertion that Frasier River fish were also being caught. (although there is almost no data to support that) The issue came before the Commission for review and the measure was met with stiff resistance from a small group of anglers that fought... and fought hard. When public comment was taken by the Commission, a seven page opposition report and a petition with 3000 signatures was presented and 10 anglers testified by presenting each part of the petition asking the Commission to deny the department request. Long story short, the department conceded to allowing the seasons in the current regs you see. All of June and Sept 1st-Oct  for retention and year round catch and release.

So back to your question, the answer is yes and no. Yes, local tribal rules for PS sturgeon is 10 per day/hook and line, for tribal commercial and sustenance fisherman. But those rules were in place before this action, so it wasn't a trade. And beyond tribal commercial there is no other commercial fishery in PS.

If you want more details let me know and I will post the opposition position report.

 

[singleshot12]

Good info Chase, Some might believe it was a trade because of the recent increase in commercial licenses handed out though.

And also by June, Sept-Oct. most of the sturg have already migrated out of the Pugit Sound, so it's not a fair shake at all.
The commercial natives just want the sportsfisher out of the way so they can do their thing

More details please

[Chase 1]

Here is the opposition report that was filed with the WDFW and the Commission. The intent of this report was to inform local anglers and Commissioners about the issue on a larger scale and show the absurdaty of the action. This process happened fast and is yet another lesson as to why it' s so important to stay on top of the departments actions. Had there not been such a loud and organized response, sturgeon retention in PS would have been closed and IMO never returned. 

Save Our Sturgeon Fishery

You are about to lose the opportunity to fish and retain white Sturgeon in the Puget Sound and all area rivers.

The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife is in the process of setting fishing seasons and allocations for the upcoming seasons. As part of the changes, WDFW has purposed closing the entire Puget Sound and all tributary rivers to the retention of white Sturgeon by recreational fisherman.

This action is being taken under the pretense of conservation of the Columbia River sturgeon population. Yet the 2012 WDFW regulation proposal allocates:                                           

17,000 sturgeon to Washington and Oregon, non-tribal, Columbia River recreational harvest 80% (13,600) and commercial harvest 20% (3400).

3,600 sturgeon recreationally harvested from the Willamette River, Oregon’s main Columbia River tributaries.

2,000 sturgeon harvested by Lower Columbia tribal fishermen.

1,700 sturgeon to Willapa Bay and coastal fisherman.

4,000 - 11,000 sturgeon are estimated to fall prey to the Columbia River sea lion invasion below Bonneville Dam annually. 

1,000’s can potentially be harvested by local tribe’s currently allowing commercial and sustenance fisherman to retain 10 sturgeon per day in Puget Sound and tributary rivers.

468 is the annual, two year average, for sturgeon harvest by recreational Puget Sound anglers (442) in 2008 and (501) in 2009.

Closing retention for Puget Sound sturgeon anglers simply does not make sense! Tell your representatives you oppose this rule change.

Save Our Sturgeon Fishery is a grassroots effort and petition campaign intended to consolidate the voices of local anglers in opposition of the recently announced WDFW proposal to close Puget Sound and tributary rivers to the retention of white sturgeon.

As you can see from the cover of this pamphlet, sturgeon management is a complex issue. Management involves a myriad of state, federal, and tribal oversight working to establish rules and allocation parameters for many user groups. The following information is intended to highlight the reasons that WDFW’s purposed rule change should not be passed by the fish and wildlife commission. 

Conservation – The reason given by the WDFW for the necessity of the purposed   closure is to protect the Columbia River sturgeon population.
This rule change would close the Puget Sound fishery without ever establishing the relationship and affect that the closure will have on the targeted area of conservation: the Columbia River. The Columbia sturgeon fishery is cooperatively studied and managed by a Joint State Committee for Washington and Oregon. The committee produces an annual report concerning stock statues and fisheries recommendations for harvest and allocation. Columbia River fisheries biologists have historically consider that the Puget Sound recreational harvest has had such a minimal and insignificant impact on the Columbia sturgeon population, that it has never been included in any of the Joint Committee’s research or reports as a conservation issue or concern.  If the sturgeon population is in trouble and eliminating retention is necessary for conservation, then please impose the closure… on all the users groups. Eliminating the least impactful user group from a fishery does not represent a fair or balanced approach to conservation.   


Science - A cornerstone of the WDFW’s management mission is to use scientific study and information analysis to set the seasons, rules, and allocations that are used to protect our resources.
During the public comment meeting in Mill Creek, it was requested of the WFDW biologists to share and explain any research, studies, stock analysis, impact statements, or any other data, that establishes a scientific basis for requesting this closure. Biologists were also asked to explain how targeting one of the least impactful fisheries for closure, while continuing to harvest thousands of sturgeon from the area targeted for conservation, represents a necessary management or conservation strategy. The WFDW was unable to produce this information because it simply does not currently exist beyond annual harvest reports. 

Management History – The Columbia River sturgeon population has yielded decreased harvest allocation over the past 10 years. In 2001harvest allocation was 40,000; in 2003 that number was dropped to 32,000, and dropped again in 2009 to 24,000. There are many reasons for the reductions in allocated harvest on the Columbia. Many of the issues are very well explained in the 2011 Joint Committee Staff Report, that is available on the WDFW website.

But here is the bottom line, 24, 000 sturgeon were allocated for harvest in 2009 in the Columbia River. During that same year, 501 sturgeon were harvested from the entire Puget Sound and all tributary rivers. That’s nearly 50 to 1, and 2009 represents the lowest Columbia allocation and the highest Puget Sound harvest.  Puget Sound anglers account for less than 2% of the overall harvest, that’s less than the WDFW estimates the mortality rate for sturgeon caught and released (<5%). Considering that from 2004-2010, an average of 4500 sturgeon (range 2300-7000) were harvested annually from the Willamette River in Oregon, a main Columbia River tributary, Puget Sound anglers should continue to enjoy a substantial allocation of the state’s harvestable sturgeon. 

Co-management - In today’s wildlife management structure, the WDFW and the local tribes act as co-managers. While WDFW regulators are attempting to close our sturgeon fishery, tribal co-managers have set retention limits for tribal commercial and sustenance fisherman at 10 sturgeon per day, per angler.
Co-management is a difficult issue, but it is hard to understand why the WDFW is attempting to close this fishery to recreational retention. This rule change would essentially allocate 100% of the Puget Sound and tributary river harvest to tribal fisherman.

The Governor’s Moratorium – In 2010, the WDFW was issued a moratorium by Governor Gregoire to suspend non-critical rule development and adoption. This moratorium was recently extended through 2012.
The WDFW’s rule change proposal has not been presented with a foundation that illustrates that the retention of Puget Sound sturgeon is a critical conservation or management issue. Implementing a major policy change, that has not been established as critical, is in direct contradiction to the Governor’s moratorium.

Sea lions – Over the last 5 years, the Columbia River has been invaded by Steller and California sea lions. The sea lions have discovered the bottle neck that the Bonneville Dam creates for migrating fish.
In 2005, the Army Corps of Engineers observed one sturgeon harvested by sea lions, in 2010 ACE observers witnessed nearly 2,200 harvested. Biologists estimate that sea lion predation on the Columbia could range between 4,000 – 11,000 sturgeon. The WDFW has tried and continues to try multiple non-lethal methods of hazing and trap and transport with minimal success. Even minimal successes to further detour sea lions from inhabiting the river will more than account for the entire impact of the Puget Sound harvest.       

Financial Impact – During these difficult economic times, many small businesses that rely on the fishing industry are struggling to survive.
The Puget Sound sturgeon fishery pumps thousands of dollars into the local economies. Sturgeon anglers spend much needed revenue at local businesses during times of the year when many of the other fisheries are closed. This rule change would instantly eliminate a substantial source of income that these businesses rely on to survive. The lack of consideration by the WDFW to the negative financial impact that this action would cause could be found arbitrary and capricious.

Policy C-3001 – Early 2011, the Commission passed and implemented a policy direction to the WDFW on how to proceed with research, allocation, and regulating the states sturgeon fishery. The policy specifically directs the dfw to work to maintain a diverse recreational opportunity. The Puget Sound fishery is one of the only opportunities for recreational harvest outside of the Columbia system. Closing retention in Puget Sound is in direct contradiction to this policy because it essentially closes the only real diversity that exists. The policy also directs the dfw to set regulations that coincide with the Oregon dfw for fisheries outside of the Columbia plan. Oregon has a thriving coastal fishery that is the best comparison to the Puget Sound. To date there has been no action in Oregon to close that fishery to retention and that fishery historically harvests more sturgeon than the Puget Sound.

Allocation – This attempt at a Puget Sound closer is less an issue of conservation and more an issue of allocation. At the current harvest levels, a 3% harvest allocation to the Puget Sound fishery would equate to 510 sturgeon. A 3% harvest allocation is minuet considering that the Puget Sound fishery provides recreational opportunity for the densest population in the state.  Establishing a harvest allocation for the Puget Sound fishery would provide a management base that could then be used for future conservation measures and management parameters.

2010 Puget Sound Harvest Anomaly- Puget Sound harvest history is based on catch records that were collected by the department. Historical data has only been collected for sturgeon in the Puget Sound for the last 10 years. Harvest information suggests that between 2000 and 2011, Puget Sound recreational sturgeon anglers harvested between 150 and 500 sturgeon annually. That is with one exception in 2010. In 2010, just over 900 sturgeon were harvested from Puget Sound. This represents a significant increase from the previous year’s total of just over 500. 2010 represents a harvest anomaly that although not fully understood, can easily be explained. For reasons unknown, possibly thousands of sturgeon moved to a very small body of water in Puget Sound. The area was easily accessible by land and several hundred sturgeon were harvested over a two-month period. Local anglers and regional managers quickly recognized the issue and sought emergency closure of a small piece of water that held the fish. This request was not heeded by the policy makers in Olympia and subsequently the Puget Sound harvest nearly doubled. This harvest anomaly is further supported by preliminary 2011 harvest reports that indicate Puget Sound anglers harvested less than 300 sturgeon.

WA and OR Fisheries Outside of the Columbia River- Puget Sound recreational fishermen have had an insignificant impact on the Columbia River population. This has been recognized by fisheries biologists from both Washington and Oregon. Washington recreational sturgeon fisherman, outside of the Columbia River system, account for less than 3% of total harvest. Oregon coastal fishermen also account for less than 3% of the harvest, though historically have a higher annual harvest than Washington. These harvest numbers are accounted for and considered in the Oregon department of fish and wildlife Conservation Plan that was used by the Joint Committee to set harvest allocations. The Washington and Oregon fisheries outside of the Columbia River are not listed as an area of concern in either states sturgeon reports. And while our department seeks to close Puget Sound, Oregon has expressed no intention of closing their coastal fisheries.


Impact – The Puget Sound fishery provides two unique differences to the Columbia fishery. First, the sturgeon caught in the Puget Sound are not within spawning grounds, not a single fish caught in the Puget Sound is in the process of spawning. Therefore when oversize fish are caught and released, it is not a detriment to spawning fish. Second, there isn’t a targeted, oversize, catch and release fishery in the Puget Sound that exists on the Columbia. Impact to spawning and pre-spawn fish in the Puget Sound is not a conservation issue as it is on the Columbia River. 

Conclusion – Puget Sound recreational anglers appreciate that resource management is a complex and difficult issue. We have great respect for the efforts of our WDFW biologist's and managers to conserve and protect our resources. However, in this instance the rule change proposal does not rise to the level of critical, warranted, or even necessary. Therefore, we request the Commissioners to reject this proposal. We  also request that the Commission impress upon the WDFW managers that prior to making any future proposals to make changes to the Puget Sound and tributary sturgeon rules and seasons, the WDFW produce a comprehensive stock analysis and fisheries report, for presentation to the public and Commission. Any future proposals should also include participation and discussion with the recreational sportsman that the change will affect.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

[Chase 1]

Here is the counter proposal that was filed with WDFW and the Commission.

Save Our Sturgeon Fishery - Puget Sound Management Proposal

The white sturgeon fishery is an important resource to the Puget Sound region. Recreational sportsmen are also concerned with conservation and the long term sustainability of this resource. Closing the Puget Sound fishery does not significantly impact either issue and is simply unacceptable. This is not as much an issue of conservation, as it is an issue of management and allocation. Before any attempt to close the fishery moves forward, we would ask the WDFW and the Commission to consider the following:

The white sturgeon fishery in the Puget Sound and tributary rivers should be allocated 3% of the Joint Staff recommendation of harvestable Columbia River sturgeon.

At the 2011-2012 allocation level of 17,000 sturgeon, 510 would be designated for harvest by Puget Sound recreational anglers.   

3% allocation would set a baseline that could then be adjusted in line with future Columbia River allocation adjustments.

Puget Sound should be managed and allocated in line with Oregon coastal fisheries as prescribed by Policy C-3001.

Puget Sound and tributary seasons and regulations should continue as currently defined by 2010-2011 regulations and harvest should continue to be monitored.

Regional DFW staff should be given the discretion to implement emergency closure to maintain management goals. (This would only have been necessary once in the last 10 years.)

If future reductions become necessary, WDFW staff should consider all options for harvest reduction before closure of retention becomes an option. These options include: annual retention reduction, shortened season, smaller slot.

Any future action should include local recreational sportsman involvement and representation prior to submitting change proposals.

[singleshot12]

Thanks Chase, interesting for sure

I guess WDFW felt they had to do something as a precautionary measure since it can be such a fragile fishery.

Way too many sport fisherman after sturgeon the last couple years which really isn't the main threat but it competes with the natives and seals, can't have that!

[Ripper]

I talked to a wdfw officer at the boat launch one day along with a person gathering signatures to save our sturgeon fishery. What it all boils down to is the Native American tribes wanted more commercial licenses, up to 30 more than they already had. It doesn't take a genius to figure out the math and see how much more damage that would do compared to the fraction of fish harvested by sporties! 30 more licenses times 10 each, any size every day, times 365 days. That equals 109,500 fish a year! Lets say conservatively they only take 20% of that amount. It still equals 21,900 fish gone compared to 510 sport caught fish. Also the wdfw said that with budget cut's they could no longer enforce the regulations in place to protect the fishery. There is a bad poaching problem out there. According to this officer the Russians and Asians are cited regularly for over harvest. Yes they called out the Russians and Asians specifically. There are certain individuals that they have arrested repeatedly, confiscated all their gear and boats, and then they catch them again in a few weeks with new gear and boats. The wdfw figured if they close it down to the recreational anglers all together, then they could turn over management and enforcement to the tribes altogether. This is all being done because of the greed of a few, and no money for wdfw. Once again all of us law abiding sport fishers are being punished for the sins of a few.

[singleshot12]

Yep you nailed it Ripper!  But the Asians and Russians will still continue to poach at night. The demand for roe and meat is too high for them not to. I don't think we'll ever get the fishery back now. Really is a shame.

[Ripper]

Time to take the law into our own hands! I consider it stealing and they used to hang horse and cattle thieves. Why not sturgeon thieves?