closed waters re-open immediatly!

[Amx]

ABOUT FIGGIN TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


the e-mail notice;


WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

June 24, 2016
Contact: Laurie Peterson, (360) 902-2790

Puget Sound-area waters reopen for fishing

OLYMPIA – Puget Sound-area fisheries that closed during an impasse in salmon-season negotiations will reopen immediately, state fish managers announced today.

Regulations for fisheries in Puget Sound marine waters, rivers and lakes through June 30 are listed in the 2015-16 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet, which is available online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01726/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. Beginning July 1, anglers should check the 2016-17 sport fishing rules pamphlet (available online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) for fisheries information.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) closed many Puget Sound-area fisheries on May 1, after the previous federal authorization to conduct fisheries expired.

The annual season-setting process, known as North of Falcon, typically concludes by mid-April. The state and treaty tribes did not reach an agreement this year until May 26, which led to a lapse in federal approval needed to conduct fisheries in Puget Sound, where some fish stocks are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. The OK given today by NOAA clears the way for reopening the Puget Sound-area fisheries that closed May 1.

"We know Puget Sound anglers have been frustrated by the late start to this year's salmon season," said John Long, salmon fisheries policy lead for WDFW. "This opening puts the year's salmon fisheries back on track."

Long noted additional restrictions are in place to protect coho salmon. Anglers will be required to release coho in most of Puget Sound this season. Those restrictions are also in effect for marine areas open in June, including marine areas 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island), 13 (south Sound) and in the Tulalip bubble fishery, where wild chinook must also be released.

Anglers fishing at most year-round piers within Puget Sound must release all coho while those fishing at year-round piers within Sinclair Inlet near Port Orchard are only required to release wild coho. Anglers should check the WDFW webpage at https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for other exceptions to the published fishing rules.

Salmon and steelhead fisheries in Puget Sound-area waters that are open in June include:

The Skykomish River for hatchery chinook and hatchery steelhead fishing.
The Cascade River for hatchery chinook and hatchery steelhead fishing.
The Skagit River for sockeye salmon, hatchery chinook and hatchery steelhead fishing.


Persons with disabilities who need to receive this information in an alternative format or who need reasonable accommodations to participate in WDFW-sponsored public meetings or other activities may contact Dolores Noyes by phone (360-902-2349), TTY (360-902-2207), or email (dolores.noyes@dfw.wa.gov). For more information, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/accessibility/reason ... quest.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.


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[kodacachers]

Great news, but the press release reads like they didn't even realize the impact to non-salmon fisheries. I still find this closure and WDFW's statements, and lack thereof, about it truly bizarre.

[Amx]

'they' don't care about anything other than salmon...

[tooboocoo]

Great news....hope they haven't spawned yet. Right.

[salmonbarry]

So is area 11 open now for chinook? I know area 10 opens july 16th but area 11 always was open in June in the past.

[Amx]

I don't know about salt water areas, or chinook, you'll have to call them, or read the info in the different threads to see if it's mentioned.

[salmonbarry]

Cool thanks!

[Larry3215]

You can download the regs for last year and the new ones that start July 1 from the wdfw site and find out for certain. That might be a tad safer than taking someones word for it on the interweb of rumor.... ;)

Be sure to check the emergency rules while you're at it.

[Amx]

According to the e-mail that I posted above, it says this;

Long noted additional restrictions are in place to protect coho salmon. Anglers will be required to release coho in most of Puget Sound this season. Those restrictions are also in effect for marine areas open in June, including marine areas 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island), 13 (south Sound) and in the Tulalip bubble fishery, where wild chinook must also be released.

so the way I read it, hatchery chinook can be kept, but wild chinook have to be released in area 13 and that bubble thing/area.

[Larry3215]

Ok, I feel bad for razzing you about reading the regs (even though you really should do that!)

This years regs - good until June 30

SALMON - ENTIRE AREA June 1-Dec. 31 CHINOOK - min. size 22". Other SALMON species - no min. size. Daily limit 2
(combined). July 1-Sept. 30: Daily limit may include 2 additional PINK. Release wild
CHINOOK. See Commencement Bay Closure on previous page. Season may
close earlier if CHINOOK guideline is attained.

The emergency rules are here:

https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Saltwater emergency rules for salmon:

June 24, 2016

Puget Sound marine salmon and steelhead fisheries re-open

Action: Re-opens Marine Area 10, 11, and 13, Tulalip Terminal Area Fishery and year-round piers for salmon with additional restrictions on coho and wild chinook. Hatchery steelhead in Marine Areas 5 through13 may be harvested.

Effective Date: Immediately through June 30, 2016.

Species affected: Salmon and steelhead.

Location: Marine Areas 5 through 13, including year-round piers.

Year-round piers, excluding Sinclair Inlet: Edmonds Public Fishing Pier, Elliott Bay Fishing Pier at Terminal 86, Seacrest Pier, Dash Point Dock, Les Davis Pier, Des Moines Pier, Redondo Pier, Point Defiance Boathouse Dock, and Fox Island Public Fishing Pier.

Sinclair Inlet year-round piers: Waterman Pier, Bremerton Boardwalk, and Illahee State Park Pier.

Reason for action: The current Endangered Species Act permit to authorize take on Puget Sound chinook and steelhead has been approved.

Other information: Fisheries affected by this emergency rule follow the regulations listed in the 2015-2016 Sport Fishing Regulation Pamphlet with the following exceptions:

Release coho: Marine Areas 11, 13 and year-round piers, excluding Sinclair Inlet;

Release wild coho: Sinclair Inlet year-round piers;

Release coho and wild chinook: Tulalip Terminal Area Fishery.

For more information on the re-opening of Puget Sound freshwater fisheries, go to: http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/pugetsound_salmon_update/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. Fisheries starting July 1, 2016 are located in the 2016-2017 Sport Fishing Regulation Pamphlet: http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Information contact: Ryan Lothrop, (360) 902-2808.

So basically you can only keep fin cliped chinook in area 11