State provides new restrictive option for commercial salmon

Published 4:04 am Saturday, April 20, 2024

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is exploring three options for the 2024 commercial salmon fishery in Willapa Bay and its tributaries. The agency had been exploring two options but was asked to provide a third with less impact.

The three proposals are listed as models A, B, and G, with the maximum season length for commercial fishing capped at 40 days. None of the three models would help natural Chinook salmon numbers of escapement totals hit a goal of 4,353.

Models offer varying catch totals

According to the proposals, Model A would provide the commercial fishery with a 34-day season with an allocation of 3,808 Chinook salmon, which is 50.8% of the allocation by sector, and 41,091 Coho salmon, which is 87%.

Model B would provide the commercial fishery with the most significant season at 40 days. It would account for approximately 5,085 Chinook salmon, 58% of the allocation by sector, and 41,626 Coho salmon, 88.7%.

The newest model, which is the most restricting, would cap the commercial season at 32 days and provide the lowest number of harvested fish. It would account for 2,355 Chinook salmon, which is 34.6% of the allocation by sector, and 36,461 Coho salmon, which is 85.1%.

Section break down

According to the draft models, commercial fishing in Model A would open for tangle nets in the south bay from Weeks 34-38. November fishery in sections 2T and 2U Weeks 44-48, 2N and 2R Weeks 44-47, and 2M Weeks 45-48.

Under Model B, tangle nets would open in the south bay Weeks 33-38 and through Week 40 in section 2U. November fishery in 2T, N and R would be open Weeks 44-48, and 2U and M Weeks 45-48.

Model G would have no commercial fishery through Sept. 10 and then tangle nets in 2T, N, R, and M Weeks 37-38 and through Week 40 in 2U. November fishery in 2T, N, R, Weeks 44-48 and 2U and M Weeks 45-48.

Recreational numbers

Model G provided the highest potential for recreational anglers to land salmon, which would account for 4,449 Chinook salmon, 65.4% of the allocation by sector, and 6,392 Coho salmon, 14.9%.

The difference between the commercial allotment under Model G for the commercial fishery and recreational anglers when it comes to Coho is 30,069. Model A allots 6,147, 13%, and Model B allots 5,306, 11.3%.

Models A and B also allot 3,687 Chinook salmon between 87-88.7%.

Final decisions on commercial and recreational fishery seasons are expected in mid-June.