[ODFW-News] Oregon and Washington adopt 2006 fishing seasons for Columbia River sturgeon

[ODFW News]

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife  
Contact:  Anne Pressentin Young (503) 657-2000, Ext. 285 
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us Fax: (503) 657-2050
 
 
For Immediate Release Thursday, Dec. 15, 2005
 
Oregon and Washington adopt 2006 fishing seasons for Columbia River
sturgeon
 
LONGVIEW, WASH. - The states of Oregon and Washington decided to stay
the course today and adopted 2006 Columbia River sturgeon fishing
regulations nearly identical to those in place for 2005. 
 
The rulemaking commissions for both states said earlier this month that
they saw no biological reason to make changes to the harvest sharing
plan or harvest rules currently guiding sport anglers. Oregon and
Washington set the allowable harvest of sturgeon in the lower Columbia
at 40,000 fish, with 80 percent allocated to the sport fishery and 20
percent to the commercial fishery.
 
The states will consider additional protections of sturgeon in spawning
areas downstream of Bonneville and McNary dams, but no decision was made
today. 
 
Starting January 1, 2006, the following rules will be in place in
addition to the permanent rules printed in the 2006 Oregon Sport Fishing
Regulations:
 
Columbia River mouth at Buoy 10 upstream to Wauna Powerlines at river
mile 40, including Youngs Bay and all adjacent Washington tributaries:
- Jan. 1 - April 30, 2006: Sturgeon retention allowed seven days per
week. Retained sturgeon must be a minimum of 42 inches long and a
maximum of 60 inches long. 
- May 13 - July 4, 2006: Sturgeon retention allowed seven days a week.
Retained sturgeon must be a minimum of 45 inches long and a maximum of
60 inches long. 
- May 1 - May 12 and July 5 - Dec. 31, 2006: Sturgeon retention
prohibited. Catch and release fishing allowed. 
 
Wauna Powerlines upstream to Bonneville Dam, including all adjacent
Washington tributaries, Multnomah Channel and the lower Willamette River
upstream to Willamette Falls:
- Jan. 1 - July 31 and Oct. 1 - Dec. 31, 2006: Sturgeon retention
allowed Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Retained sturgeon must be a
minimum of 42 inches and a maximum of 60 inches.
- Aug. 1 - Sept. 30, 2006: Sturgeon retention prohibited. Catch and
release fishing allowed. 
 
Bonneville Dam upstream to the Oregon-Washington border: 
- Starting Jan. 1, 2006, sturgeon retention is allowed seven days a week
until catch guidelines for Bonneville, The Dalles and John Day pools are
reached. Retained sturgeon must meet the size limits described in the
2006 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations. 
 

In other action Thursday, the states adopted rules for recreational
harvest of smelt and commercial harvest of sturgeon and smelt. 
 
Oregon and Washington fishery managers will meet again Thursday, Jan.
26, 2006, at the Museum of the Oregon Territory, 211 Tumwater Drive in
Oregon City to establish sport and commercial seasons for spring
chinook.
 
More information related to Columbia River fishing seasons can be found
on the ODFW Web site at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/OSCRP/CRM/main.html. 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://listsmart.osl.state.or.us/pipermail/odfw-news/attachments/20051215/bc1a193e/attachment.htm