Makah's chinook plan leads to reduced sport seasons

Sports fisherman are outraged over the Makah Tribe's plan to increase their catch in its next winter troll chinook fishery, which in turn has led to a reduction in some sport fishing seasons.

"The recreational community has taken some cuts to allow for an increase in the Makah fishery, and once again we came out on the short end of the stick," said Clint Muns, who represents Puget Sound Anglers, the largest sport fishing club in Washington.

The expanded Makah winter chinook projected catch to a ceiling of 8,500 fish created a heightened impact on protected chinook stocks in mid-Hood Canal and the Snohomish river systems, and cuts were needed to get under the management objective.

The recreational fishing caucus throughout the season-setting process, which began March 1, adamantly opposed accepting the conservation burden created from the Makah winter fishery.

In the end, that wasn't the case.

"We were led to believe that we were splitting the impacts on wild chinook stocks of concern with the tribes, and we ended up taking all the heat," said Keith Robbins, a member of the state Fish and Wildlife's sport fishing advisory board.

State Fish and Wildlife has imposed two conservation measures by closing the sport fishery in northern Puget Sound (Area 9) during the last two weeks of July, and going with a chinook selective fishery in the Everett-Camano Island area (Areas 8-1 and 8-2) from Oct. 1 through April 2006.

"I certainly know people were upset over the Makah situation, but losing two weeks in Area 9 looked to be the best of the bad choices we had," said Phil Anderson, the state Fish and Wildlife salmon policy coordinator.

"The winter treaty troll fishery went from a full season last year to a much more restricted fishery," Anderson said.

"This winter the troll fishery is closed in October, and they went to a four-day-a-week fishery, so we'll see how that transpires."

"This whole (salmon-setting season) process is a collaborative effort to try and reach each parties' needs and come to a balance," said Tony Meyer, the director and salmon recovery information officer for Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission.

"The state (Fish and Wildlife) traded two weeks of Area 9 for a selective (chinook) fishery in Area 8-1 and 8-2 from Oct. 1 to April 30, and the tribes agreed to that expansion in the co-management process," Meyer added. "That adds several months to that sport fishery, which is pretty significant, and there are other bright spots in the sport package."

One sport-fishing advisory-board member countered: "I don't think any fishermen challenges the tribe's right to fish, but when the sport and non-tribal community has to under-write that opportunity, it can't help but leave a bad taste in our mouths."

This all came to light after state Fish and Wildlife confirmed in January that the Makah troll fishery had caught 19,559 chinook last winter, compared with an anticipated catch of 1,600 fish and a 10-year average of 1,819 fish. There is no quota set for the tribe's catch.

In early February, Dave Sones, the Makah's vice chairman, told the Peninsula Daily News, "This will have no effect on other people's fisheries."

"It was disappointing with how the Makah situation was handled," said Frank Urabeck, a representative of Trout Unlimited. "We have to make co-management work and this doesn't give us a whole lot of confidence. I believe the governor's office needs to be involved to some capacity. There has to be a better way to do it."

Urabeck also said the sport-fishing community did gain some benefits in the salmon-season-setting process.

"I was satisfied by the expansion of sport fishing in the Lower Green River and Elliott Bay for chinook," Urabeck said.

"I'm pleased with the overall fishing seasons, because we went into this process with some trepidation," Anderson said. "You never get everything you want, but I believe we put together a nice package. There are more chinook opportunities and we crafted ocean quotas, which will provide good summer fisheries."

The Sekiu and Port Angeles areas in the Strait of Juan de Fuca will be open for hatchery-marked chinook beginning July 1, and will close Aug. 10 or once 3,500 adipose fin clipped chinook are caught, which ever comes first.

The expected strong run of almost 2 million pink salmon (nearly half of those expected back to the Snohomish River) will boost catch limits from the Strait into Puget Sound.

The coastal sport salmon fisheries look decent, and most constituents from there were satisfied on the outcome.

"I'd say the quota was a notch above middle ground, and we were satisfied with what we got," said Steve Westrick, owner of Westport Charters. "We'll have ample opportunity, and those numbers should get us through at least Labor Day."

Sport anglers in the ocean this summer will get a quota of 121,800 hatchery-marked coho and 43,250 chinook.

Fishing will begin at Westport (Area 2) on June 26, La Push and Neah Bay (Areas 3 and 4) will open July 1, and Ilwaco (Area 1) will open July 3.

Mark Yuasa: 206-464-8780 or myuasa@seattletimes.com

2005-06 RECREATIONAL MARINE SALMON SEASONS

Ilwaco (Marine Area 1)

July 3-Sept. 30: 60,900 coho subquota. Open Sunday through Thursday, two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Release wild coho. Minimum size for chinook is 24 inches. Minimum size for coho is 16 inches. Chinook guideline 8,200.

Lower Columbia River mouth (Buoy 10)

Aug. 1-Sept. 30: two fish daily limit, only of which may be a chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 24 inches; minimum size for coho is 16 inches. Release sockeye, chum and wild coho.

Westport (Marine Area 2)

June 26-Sept. 18: 45,066 coho subquota. Open Sunday through Thursday, two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Release wild coho. Minimum size for chinook is 24 inches; minimum size for coho is 16 inches. Chinook guideline is 28,750.

Grays Harbor Control Zone (a line from the lighthouse one mile south of the south jetty to Buoy No. 2 to Buoy No. 3 to the tip of the north jetty to the tip of the exposed end of the south jetty): Closed beginning Aug. 1.

Willapa Bay (Area 2.1)

June 26-Aug. 15: Open concurrent with Marine Area 2 when Area 2 is open for salmon. Area 2 rules apply.

Aug. 16-Jan. 31: Six fish daily limit, no more than two adults; 12-inch minimum size limit. Single-point barbless hooks required.

Grays Harbor (Area 2.2)

West of Buoy 13 line: June 26-Aug. 15, open concurrent with Area 2 when it is open for salmon through Aug. 15 only. Area 2 rules apply. Closed beginning Aug. 16.

East of Buoy 13 line: June 26-Sept. 15, closed for salmon. Sept. 16-Nov. 30: Two fish daily limit, release all chinook; 12 inch minimum size limit; single point barbless hooks required.

La Push (Marine Area 3)

July 1-Sept: 18. 3,067 coho subquota. Open Tuesday through Saturday, two fish daily limit, no more than one of which may be a chinook. Release wild coho; minimum size for chinook is 24 inches, and minimum size for coho is 16 inches. Chinook guideline is 1,900 fish.

Sept. 24-Oct. 9: LaPush area late season fishery. Two fish daily limit, no more than one of which may be a chinook. Release wild coho. Minimum size for chinook is 24 inches, and minimum size for coho is 16 inches. Fishery restricted to an area within three miles of shore north of 47 degrees 50.00 latitude and south of 48 degrees 00.00 north latitude.

Neah Bay (Marine Area 4)

July 1-Sept. 18: 12,667 coho sub quota. Open Tuesday through Saturday, two fish per day, only one of which may be a chinook. Chum non-retention during August and September. Release wild coho; minimum size for chinook is 24 inches; minimum size of coho 16 inches. Chinook guideline: 4,300; chinook non-retention east of Bonilla-Tatoosh line beginning Aug. 1. Closed to salmon fishing July 1-Sept. 30 inside the area bounded by a line from Kydaka Point to Shipwreck Point.

Sekiu-Pillar Point (Marine Area 5)

May 1-June 30: Closed.

July 1-Aug. 10: Two fish daily limit plus two additional pink. Chinook 22 inch minimum size. Release chum, wild chinook and wild coho. Areas 5 and 6 season quota of 3,500 landed chinook, or 41 days of fishing; afterwards, release all chinook. South of Kydaka Point-Shipwreck Point line — closed to salmon angling.

Aug. 11-Sept. 30: Two fish daily limit, plus two additional pink. Release chinook, wild coho and chum. South of Kydaka Point-Shipwreck Point line — closed to salmon angling.

Oct. 1-Oct. 31: Closed.

Nov. 1-Nov. 30: Two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

Dec. 1-Feb. 15: Closed.

Feb. 16-April 10: One fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

April 11-30: Closed.

Port Angeles (Marine Area 6)

May 1-June 30: Closed.

July 1-Aug. 10: Two fish daily limit, plus two additional pink. Chinook 22 inch minimum size; wild coho, chum and chinook release, except west of a true north-south line through 2 Buoy near the tip of Ediz Hood retention of marked chinook allowed; Areas 5 and 6 season quota of 3,500 landed chinook, or 41 days of fishing; afterwards, release all chinook. Port Angeles Harbor west of a line from the tip of Ediz Hook to ITT Rayonier Dock — closed to salmon angling. Dungeness Bay closed to salmon angling.

Aug. 11-Sept. 30: Two fish daily limit, plus two additional pink. Chinook, wild coho and chum release. South of Angeles Point / Observatory Point line — closed to angling through Aug. 31. Port Angeles Harbor west of a line from the tip of Ediz Hook to ITT Rayonier Dock — closed to salmon angling through Aug. 31. Dungeness Day closed to salmon angling.

Oct. 1-31: Closed, except Dungeness Bay open with a two-fish daily limit, coho only.

Nov. 1-Nov. 30: Two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook; minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Dungeness bay closed to salmon angling.

Dec. 1-Feb. 15: Closed.

Feb. 16-April 10: One fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Dungeness Bay closed to salmon angling.

April 11-April 30: Closed.

San Juan Islands (Marine Area 7)

May 1-June 30: Closed.

July 1-31: Two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook, plus two additional pink. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Waters of Area 7 in Rosario Strait and the eastern portion of the Strait of Juan de Fuca southerly of a line running true south from the westernmost point on Fidalgo Head to Burrows Island, then westerly and southerly along the shore of Burrows Island to the Burrows Island Lighthouse, then westerly to Bird Rocks, then westerly from Bird Rocks to the southernmost point on Decatur Island, then southerly across Lopez Pass to Lopez Island and following the shore of Lopez Island southerly and westerly to Iceberg Point, then from Iceberg Point to Cattle Point, then south southwest to the Salmon Bank Buoy, and then true south from the Salmon Bank Buoy to the Area 7 boundary, closed to salmon angling. Bellingham and Samish Bay closed to salmon angling.

Aug. 1-Sept. 30: Two fish limit, only one of which may be a chinook, plus two additional pink, release unmarked coho, release chum; Waters of Area 7 in Rosario Strait and the eastern portion of the Strait of Juan de Fuca southerly of a line running true south from the westernmost point on Fidalgo Head to Burrows Island, then westerly and southerly along the shore of Burrows Island to the Burrows Island Lighthouse, then westerly to Bird Rocks, then westerly from Bird Rocks to the southernmost point on Decatur Island, then southerly across Lopez Pass to Lopez Island and following the shore of Lopez Island southerly and westerly to Iceberg Point, then from Iceberg Point to Cattle Point, then south southwest to the Salmon Bank Buoy, and then true south from the Salmon Bank Buoy to the Area 7 boundary, closed to salmon angling. Bellingham Bay closed to salmon angling Aug. 1-15; Samish Bay closed to salmon angling.

Oct. 1-31: Two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Samish Bay closed Oct. 1-Oct. 15.

Nov. 1-Nov. 30: Two fish limit, release chinook.

Dec. 1-Jan. 31: Closed.

Feb.1-Mar. 31: One fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

April 1-30: Closed.

Bellingham Bay terminal area

May 1-Aug. 15: Closed to salmon angling.

Aug. 16-Oct. 31: Four fish limit, no more than two chinook (minimum size 22 inches); Samish Bay closed to salmon angling through Oct. 15.

Nov. 1-April 15: Same as Area 7.

April 16-April 30: Closed to salmon angling.

Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay (Marine Area 8-1)

May 1-July 31: Closed to salmon angling.

Aug. 1-Sept. 30: Two fish limit, release chinook, plus two additional pink.

Oct. 1-April 30: Two fish limit, chinook 22-inch minimum size, release wild chinook.

Port Susan and Port Gardner (Marine Area 8-2)

May 1-July 31: Closed to salmon angling.

Aug. 1-Sept. 30: Two fish limit, plus two additional pink, release chinook. Area north of a line from Camano Head to the boundary marker approximately 1.4 miles northwest of Hermosa Point; closed to all salmon fishing Aug. 1-Aug. 31 and release pink Sept. 1-Sept. 30.

Oct. 1-April 30: Two fish limit, chinook 22-inch minimum size, release wild chinook.

Tulalip Special Area Recreational Fishery

Same as Area 8-2, except during the period June 3 through Sept. 26. Open 12:01 a.m. Friday — 11:59 a.m. Monday of each week. Open within Tulalip Special Area boundaries only. Closed east of the line from Mission Point to Hermosa Point. Two fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

Northern Puget Sound (Marine Area 9)

May 1-July 31: Closed.

Aug. 1-Sept. 30: Two fish daily limit, plus two additional pink, chinook and chum release.

Oct. 1-Oct. 31: Two fish daily limit, release chinook.

Nov. 1-30: Two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

Dec. 1-Jan. 31: Closed.

Edmonds Pier: Open year-round with a two fish daily limit, only one of which one may be a chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Chum must be released Aug. 1-Sept. 30.

Central Puget Sound (Marine Area 10)

May 1-June 15: Closed.

June 16-June 30: Catch and release in waters north of Meadow Point / Point Monroe line.

July 1-Sept. 30: Two fish daily limit, plus two additional pink, chinook release, chum release.

Aug. 1-Sept. 15; Shilshole Bay (east of Meadow Point/West Point line) closed July 1- Aug. 31.

Outer Elliott Bay (east of West Point to Alki Point line to Pier 91/Duwamish Head line) closed to salmon angling July 1-Aug. 23.

Inner Elliott Bay (east of Pier 91/Duwamish Head line) closed to salmon angling July 1-Aug. 23 except for indicated openings identified in "Inner Elliott Bay" section below. Elliott Bay fishing piers open; see below.

Special gear restrictions in Duwamish Waterways area when open.

See Sinclair Inlet Recreational section below for chinook retention fishery.

Oct. 1-Oct. 15: Two fish daily limit, release chinook.

Oct. 16-Nov. 30: Two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

Dec. 1-Jan. 31: One fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches; Agate Pass closure beginning Jan. 1.

Feb. 1-April 30: Closed.

Inner Elliott Bay: July 8-Aug. 22: Open east of Pier 91/Duwamish Head line, weekly, 12:01 a.m. Friday to 11:59 p.m. Monday, 7/8-8/22, except closed after 11:59 a.m. on 8/22. Two fish daily limit, plus two additional pink. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Release chum Aug. 1-Sept. 22. Special gear restrictions in Duwamish waterways area when open. Aug. 24-April 30: Same regulations as Marine Area 10.

Sinclair Inlet: May 1-June 30: Same regulations as Marine Area 10. July 1-Sept. 30: Open south of Manette Bridge, south of line drawn true west from Battle Point and west of line south from Point White, two fish limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Release chum Aug. 1-Sept. 15. Same regulations as Area 10 from Oct. 1 to April 30.

Area 10 Piers: Seacrest Pier, Pier 86, Waterman Pier, Bremerton Boardwalk, Illahee State Park Pier: Open year-round with a two-fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Release all chum Aug. 1-Sept. 15.

Southcentral Puget Sound (Marine Area 11)

May 1-May 31: Closed.

June 1-June 30: Two fish daily limit, Commencement Bay closed to salmon fishing east of Cliff House Restaurant/Sperry Dock line.

July 1-Sept. 30: Two fish daily limit, plus two additional pink (minimum size 22 inches on chinook); Commencement Bay closed to salmon fishing east of Cliff House Restaurant/Sperry Dock line through August 12.

Oct. 1-Oct. 31: Two fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

Nov. 1-Dec. 31: Two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

Jan. 1-Feb. 15: Closed.

Feb. 16-April 10: One fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

April 11-30: Closed.

Dash Point Dock, Point Defiance Boathouse Dock, Les Davis Pier, Des Moines Pier and Redondo Pier: Open year-round with a two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

Hood Canal (Marine Area 12)

Entire Area: Closed May 1-June 30.

July 1-Aug. 31: North of Ayock Point — Closed to salmon angling, except see Quilcene/Dabob Bay recreational fishery below.

Sept. 1-Oct. 15: North of Ayock Point, open for coho only with a four fish daily limit.

July 1-Oct. 15: South of Ayock Point, open with a four fish daily limit, only two of which may be chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Chum must be released.

Oct. 16-Dec. 31: Entire area open with a four fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

Jan. 1-Feb. 15: Closed.

Feb. 16-April 10: One fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

April 11-30: Closed.

Hoodsport Hatchery Zone: Jan. 1-June 30: Same as Marine Area 12. July 1-Dec. 31: Four fish daily limit, only two of which may be a chinook 24 inches or longer. No minimum size. Release chum July 1-Oct. 15.

Quilcene-Dabob Bay: May 1-Aug. 15: Same as Marine Area 12. Aug. 16-Aug. 31: Four-fish daily limit, coho only. Sept. 1-April 30: Same as Marine Area 12.

Southern Puget Sound (Marine Area 13)

May 1-May 31: Two fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Carr Inlet (north of Penrose Point/Green Point line) closed to salmon angling.

June 1-June 30: Closed.

July 1- Oct. 31: Open with a two fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Wild coho must be released July 1-Oct. 31; Carr Inlet (north of Penrose Point/Green Point line) closed July 1-31, except open to flyfishing only for marked hatchery coho; Minter Creek mouth closed through Sept. 30; Lower Budd Inlet closed July 16 through Oct. 31.

Nov. 1-Dec. 31: Two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches.

Jan. 1-April 30: One fish daily limit. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Carr Inlet (north of Penrose Point/Green Point line) closed April 16-April 30.

Fox Island Pier Recreational: Open year-round, two fish daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. Minimum size for chinook is 22 inches. Release wild coho July 1-Oct. 31.

(Regulations could change in-season so anglers are advised to check the state Fish and Wildlife Web site at wdfw.wa.gov/ for updates.)