News Releases

Plenty of uses for extra steelhead

Monday, 16 January 2012 07:53 Salmon News Admin

Plenty of uses for extra steelhead

I know they sell some of the spring chinook salmon and give extra coho salmon to the Oregon Food Bank. But what happens to the extra steelhead? Are any of them sold? Do they all end up in the landfill? There are lots of ways excess summer steelhead are ...
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Alternative commercial fishing gears to be tested on lower Columbia River

Saturday, 14 August 2010 07:20 administrator

SALEM, Ore. – Starting this week, fishery managers from Washington and Oregon will test the feasibility of five types of alternative commercial fishing gears on the lower Columbia River.

Expanding on a pilot project conducted last year, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will work with commercial salmon fishers to test purse seines, beach seines and trap nets.

In addition, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) will work with a team of commercial fishers to test commercial troll gear and tangle nets during fall chinook and coho salmon runs.

Additional types of fishing gear will be evaluated in the future.

This year’s test fishing, funded primarily by NOAA Fisheries and an Oregon legislative appropriation, will be conducted from mid-August through October at various sites downstream of Bonneville Dam. Tests will include five purse seines, five beach seines, two trap nets, two trollers and three different types of tangle nets.

“Our shared goal is to identify and develop commercial fishing gear capable of catching large numbers of hatchery salmon, while also allowing for the safe release of wild fish,” said Pat Frazier, regional WDFW fish manager. “These tests are a critical step toward achieving that goal.”

Gear that achieve that goal could be approved for future use on the lower Columbia River, where gillnets are currently the primary gear used in commercial fisheries. While gillnets are highly effective at catching salmon, alternative gears may increase the ability to release wild fish in good condition, Frazier said.

“Because many wild salmon and steelhead populations are listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act, impact limits on these fish often curtail fisheries even when large numbers of hatchery-reared fish are available for harvest,” said John North, ODFW Columbia River Fisheries manager.

Development of viable fishing gear that can selectively remove hatchery fish would not only benefit commercial fisheries, but may also contribute to the recovery of wild salmon stocks on the Columbia River by reducing interactions with hatchery fish, North said.

In that regard, the results of last year’s pilot project were promising, said Frazier, who oversaw gear tests conducted by WDFW. Working with a purse seine, beach seine and trap net, WDFW project members caught and sorted 884 salmon, of which only one died during handling.

“The immediate survival rate was very good, but we need to conduct further tests to determine if these, or other gear types, are viable on a commercial scale,” Frazier said. “We also need to test them in different areas and under different conditions. That will be a major focus of this year’s tests.”

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Contact:

John North (ODFW), 971-673-6029
Pat Frazier (WDFW), 360-906-6711

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2010/august/081110b.asp

Upland game bird and sport fishing regulations approved

Saturday, 14 August 2010 07:18 administrator

SALEM, Ore.—The Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted 2010-11 upland game bird hunting and sport fishing regulations today during its monthly meeting in Salem.

Senator Betsy Johnson (D, Scappoose), Representative Mike Schaufler (D, Happy Valley), other Task Force Members and ODFW staff briefed the Commission on final recommendations of the Goose Control Task Force. The Task Force was created by Senate Bill 622 to look at ways to reduce crop losses and other issues caused by the increased geese numbers around the state.

Geese are migratory birds and management is a joint responsibility of federal and state agencies, governed by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Many of the recommendations will require negotiation with other state and federal agencies or Native Alaskans.

The Commission adopted the 2010-11 upland game bird regulations as proposed by staff.

Upland bird (pheasant, chukar, grouse, quail) hunting seasons will change based on the five-year regulation framework adopted last year. Mountain quail season will be open in eight eastern Oregon counties (including Crook County after a decades-long closure there) and close later to coincide with chukar and California quail seasons. Forest grouse hunters in eastern Oregon will get an extra month to hunt (through Dec. 31).

Eastern Oregon controlled tags for Baker, Grande Ronde, and Wallowa fall turkey hunts will increase to 150 per hunt (an increase of 50 or 75 tags).

Duck, goose and other migratory game bird hunting seasons were also adopted as proposed by staff. The 2010-11 Game Bird Regulations will be posted to the ODFW website next week and copies of the regulations will be available later this month.

Sport Fishing Regulations

The Commission approved the 2011 Sport Fishing Regulations, which included a number of key changes from 2010:

    * Several clarifications of the two-rod angling license, including a number of standing water bodies where two rods will be disallowed primarily for conservation reasons.
    * Closure of all smelt, or Eulachon, harvest in Oregon’s inland waters. Smelt were recently listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.
    * Permanent adoption of rules that allow harvest of native cutthroat trout on the Tualatin and Yamhill rivers. These fisheries were opened under temporary rules in 2010.
    * Establishment of an 8-inch minimum size and a daily bag limit of 25 fish for crappie taken from Willow Creek Reservoir.
    * Closed a winter fishery on the McKenzie River from Leaburg Dam to Forest Glen Boat Landing in order to protect native “redside” trout populations. The Commission rejected a proposal to ban the use of bait from Hayden Bridge upstream to Hendricks Bridge. .

The Commission rejected a proposal to require the use of barbless hooks on the Columbia River. The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission recently adopted a barbless hook requirement that was contingent upon Oregon approving a similar requirement. Oregon staff was asked to meet with their counterparts from Washington, tribes and federal agencies to discuss any future proposal to require use of barbless hooks on the Columbia.

The Commission approved Oregon’s plan to restore and conserve salmon and steelhead populations of the lower Columbia River and adopted the administrative rules necessary to implement the plan.

The Lower Columbia River Conservation and Recovery Plan for Oregon Populations of Salmon and Steelhead outlines the steps to rebuild natural populations of steelhead and chum, coho and chinook salmon that have declined drastically in the last 100 years.

The plan covers salmon and steelhead populations that are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) in Youngs Bay, Big Creek, Clatskanie, Scappoose, Clackamas, Sandy, Lower Gorge, Upper Gorge and Hood River subbasins.

The Plan will now be submitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service as Oregon’s portion of the federal ESA Recovery Plan for the entire Lower Columbia River, which is scheduled to be released in 2011. The Lower Columbia River Conservation and Recovery Plan for Oregon Populations of Salmon and Steelhead will serve as both a state conservation plan and a federal recovery plan and will help guide the recovery actions of state and federal agencies, as well as watershed councils, local governments, non-governmental organizations and landowners. The final draft plan and its executive summary can be viewed online at: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/CRP/lower_columbia_plan.asp

The Commission approved 13 projects totaling $283,493 for funding by the Fish Restoration and Enhancement Board. Proposed projects include a fish passage facility on Sun Creek to help restore native fish populations and expanded fishing opportunities at the Burns and North Powder ponds.

The Commission adopted a permanent rule prohibiting public access to ODFW hatcheries between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. Oregon State Police asked for clear administrative rules governing public access at hatcheries because of safety concerns, loitering, late night or all night vehicle parking at hatcheries.

The Commission approved changes to commercial fishing regulations to clarify the requirement for a release mechanism on commercial crab pots, and to remove the option of using degradable metal hooks as a release mechanism.

The Commission is the policy-making body for fish and wildlife issues in the state. The seven-member panel meets monthly. Agenda item exhibits may be requested by calling the ODFW Director’s Office at 800-720-6339 or 503-947-6044 or by visiting this website: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/agency/commission/minutes/

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Contact:


Michelle Dennehy (503) 947-6022
Fax: (541) 947-6009

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2010/august/080610b.asp

ODFW offers tips to avoid problems with bears

Saturday, 14 August 2010 07:15 administrator

ROSEBURG, Ore. – Black bears are being seen more frequently in western Oregon this summer. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has some tips to avoid problems with bears.

“Here on the coast, the salmonberry crop never came on in many places and the blackberries are not ripe yet,” said Stuart Love, wildlife biologist in the Charleston field office. “Berries aren’t the only thing bears can eat right now, but that’s what they want. They’re hungry and looking for an easy meal which is usually garbage or pet food left outside of homes.”

“Remember the right thing to do is to leave bears wild. They must rely on natural food sources,” continued Love. “Bears that come to expect food from humans become safety risks.”

In Coos Bay and the mid-coast district, several bears have been killed for human safety and damage reasons. Damage complaints have increased in the southern Willamette Valley and North Coast. The Klamath district also reports bear problems.

In the Rogue Watershed, Wildlife Biologist Rosemary Stussy fields calls from homeowners with bear problems ranging from ransacked garbage to bears breaking and entering homes. “Bears have killed small farm animals, and now for the second year in a row, bears have torn up one resident’s archery range.”

She asks landowners to do their part and practice good bear etiquette.

“People must make sure they don’t attract bears to their property,” Stussy said. “Neighbors need to work together to make sure everyone is doing what they can to keep bears out.” She offered the following tips for homeowners:

    * Keep garbage inside. Pour ammonia or bleach over the trash before leaving it outside for pick-up.
    * Store pet food dishes and feed inside.
    * Hang bird feeders away from the side of your home or tree trunk so bears can’t reach them. Store birdseed inside and keep the feeder and area underneath clean.
    * Keep barbecue grills clean.
    * Pick up fruit that has fallen from trees.

Bear hunting season opened Aug. 1 statewide. Landowners with bear damage that desire hunters on their property should contact their local ODFW field office.

Oregon is home to about 25,000 to 30,000 bears. Sightings are not unusual, but attacks on humans are rare. Following are ODFW tips if a person encounters a bear:

    * Give the bear a way to escape.
    * Stay calm, do not run or make sudden movements.
    * Face the bear and back away slowly.
    * Avoid direct eye contact with the bear.
    * Talk to the bear in a firm voice to let it know you are a human.
    * Fight back if attacked. Shout, use rocks, sticks and hands to fend off an attack.

For more information about living with black bears, check the ODFW website at www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/living_with/black_bears.asp

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Contact:


Meghan Collins (541) 440-3353
Michelle Dennehy (503) 947-6022
Fax: (541) 673-0372

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2010/august/080310c.asp

Last Updated ( Saturday, 14 August 2010 07:17 )

Research zeroes in on Nehalem, Nestucca chinook

Saturday, 14 August 2010 07:14 administrator

CORVALLIS, Ore. – While many people along Oregon’s North Coast are home sound asleep researchers from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will be working late to unlock clues about returning chinook salmon.

Starting this month, ODFW survey teams will be collecting adult chinook that have returned to the Nehalem and Nestucca rivers in order to gain a better understanding of how many salmon survive the arduous round trip from the North Coast to Alaska and back.

Teams working from shore and in boats will use drift nets to catch, mark and release as many chinook as possible. The study is expected to begin by the middle of the month and take place annually from August through October for the next 4-5 years.

Much of the work will happen at night to avoid conflicts with anglers and reduce stress on fish, according to Shelly Miller, project leader stationed at ODFW’s Corvallis Research Lab. In addition, researchers believe working during the wee hours will improve their catch rates and produce more data from which to draw conclusions.

“More fish move at night,” Miller said.

Crews use a number of techniques to reduce stress to the fish, including not handling the fish at all if water temperatures are above about 64 degrees Farenheit.

The project leader explained that returning chinook will be collected near the mouths of the two rivers, marked and released to continue their migration to upstream spawning grounds. When those fish are examined a second time during spawning surveys or after being caught on anglers’ rods, the totals will be compared to the number of unmarked chinook to develop a population estimate. No live fish will be handled during the spawning surveys. Only carcasses will be examined for marks.

“This is a common technique for estimating animal populations,” Miller said.

Researchers will supplement their data by conducting angler creel surveys during the daylight hours, counting spawning sites or “redds” when fish are actively spawning and by counting and examining carcasses from the river bottoms after the salmon have completed their life cycles.

Population estimates developed through this research will be used in local management decisions and in broader discussions about salmon under the Pacific Salmon Treaty, according to Chris Knutsen, district fish biologist for ODFW’s North Coast Watershed.

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Contact:

Shelly Miller (541) 757-4263, ext. 242
Chris Knutsen (503) 842-2741
Rick Swart (971) 673-6038