Washington commission updates rules on hunting contests, Columbia River fishing
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission recently voted to change rules for hunting contests and Columbia River fishing.
The commission voted 7-2 to adopt two proposed rule changes when it comes to hunting contests. The first of two rule changes are species such as coyotes are excluded from being eligible for hunting contests. The second rule change makes it illegal to participate in a hunting contest not permitted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The vote on adopting amendments to its Columbia River Basin Salmon Management Policy (C-3620) passed 5-4. The policy, which primarily addresses the sharing of fish and kinds of non-tribal fishing that can occur, was first adopted in 2013, and an extensive review of the policy began in 2018.
Here are some of the changes under the new policy:
Upriver spring chinook: Under the original policy, 80 percent of allowable harvest was allocated to recreational anglers, with the remaining 20 percent allocated to the commercial fleet. The revised policy moves to an abundance-based allocation model, which is expected to average about 70 percent recreational and 30 percent commercial. At lower run sizes, such as those seen in recent years, the recreational allocation remains at 80 percent.
Summer chinook downstream of Priest Rapids Dam: Similar to spring chinook, the revised policy moves to an abundance-based allocation model, which is expected to average 70 percent recreational and 30 percent commercial. The original policy allowed for 80 percent of allowable harvest in the recreational fishery, 20 percent to commercial. Under the abundance-based model, the recreational allocation remains at 80 percent when abundance is lower.
Fall chinook: The original policy allocated no more than 80 percent of harvest to the recreational fishery, and no less than 20 percent to the commercial fishery. The revised policy updates these allocations to no more than 70 percent and no less than 30 percent, respectively, which aligns Washington policy with the current Oregon policy.
The new policies will be enacted on Jan. 1, 2021. The commission is allowing individuals to speak on these new and revised policies through Oct. 12, comments can be submitted to commission@dfw.wa.gov.
More information on that policy review can be found at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/management/hatcheries/hatchery-reform-policy-review.
This story was originally published September 16, 2020 at 3:17 PM.
