Over 100 sportfishing and boating businesses and sportfishing organizations sent a letter to the Washington Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Commission to oppose the draft proposal developed by a subset of Commissioners to reverse the Oregon-Washington Columbia River Harvest reforms. The letter was also delivered to Governor Jay Inslee, key leadership in the Legislature as well as the Oregon Commission. Outlining harm to sportfishing businesses across the region, the letter is part of a growing chorus of opposition to the draft proposal from eastern Washington Counties, salmon recovery boards, over 35 members of the Washington state legislature, as well as opposition from a multitude of conservation and sportfishing organizations.

The draft changes to the Columbia River Salmon Fishery Management Policy (C-3620), crafted by Washington Commissioners Don McIsaac and Bob Kehoe, would reduce sportfishing opportunity, in some cases by as much as 25%. Their plan cuts mark selective recreational fisheries during both the spring and summer fisheries – January 1 through July 31 – and replaces them with a return to mainstem commercial gillnet fisheries that are either significantly less selective or completely nonselective. The proposed mainstem commercial gillnet fishery would occur during the spring and summer fishing periods when some of the most fragile, ESA-listed stocks are in route to their natal streams. As a result, these stocks and bycatch species like steelhead and sturgeon will face additional mortalities in gillnets. The devastating impacts of this proposal are contrary to both the economic and conservation goals of the reforms.

“The continued dismantling of the Columbia River Salmon Fishery Management Policy is an attack on conservation,” said Nello Picinich, Executive Director of Coastal Conservation Association Washington. “Restoring non-selective gillnets to the lower mainstem Columbia River presents a major threat to the recovery of our cherished wild salmon and steelhead. Adopting these changes will alienate the recreational community and further erode public trust and support for WDFW, which would be shortsighted during these uncertain economic times. Instead, WDFW would be best served to embrace the conservation benefits of selective recreational fisheries.”

The sportfishing and boating industry in Washington employs over 18,000 people, many in rural parts of the state. The industry serves nearly 900,000 license holders, of which approximately 250,000 fish for salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River basin, and stretches from sporting goods retailers, marinas, and guides, to tackle manufacturers and boat builders in eastern Washington and beyond. These cuts to sport fishing are particularly painful to an industry reeling from policies that have severely constrained Puget Sound sportfishing opportunity as well as the impacts and uncertainties associated with the COVID-19 virus.

“This year, when sport fisheries were closed in Washington State, we had to furlough 60% of our employees,” said Mike Coombs, co-owner of Outdoor Emporium, Sportco and Farwest Sports. “While fishing and boating have temporarily rebounded as Washingtonians demand safe, family outdoor activities, the proposal to cut Columbia River recreational fisheries will have a serious impact on businesses like ours, and the hundreds of manufacturers we purchase from, that depend on Columbia River fisheries and face significant uncertainty due to COVID-19 restrictions,” Coombs continued.

Bruce Larson, Sales and Marketing Director for Renaissance Marine Group in Clarkston added, “The proposal pushed by Commissioners McIsaac and Kehoe is a 1940’s solution in 2020. Enormous economic benefit was generated through the Columbia River commercial community eighty years ago, but ultimately overharvest helped drive the declines in salmon populations. That has been replaced by the social and economic benefits associated with the recreational sportfishing community, along with harvest practices and methods that have since been reformed to not only make fisheries more selective and sustainable but also more valuable. Columbia River recreational fisheries generate enormous social and economic benefits for communities across the region, including here in southeastern Washington. Adopting this proposed policy will harm hundreds of businesses, large and small, across the Pacific Northwest for little additional gain for a handful of commercial fishers.”

From Chris Hager, Executive Director of Northwest Steelheaders, “These proposed policy changes were ill-advised and written without considering the recreational angling community. It’s empowering to see so many companies, and organizations come together to share a voice that not only supports a common goal but demands a future of opportunity alongside the preservation of our iconic salmon and steelhead.”

“The rest of the United States commercial fishing industry has moved away from gillnets. Why haven’t our commissioners?” said Peter Schrappen of the Northwest Marine Trade Association.

The Commission is set to hold a workshop on September 1 to discuss the proposal before voting on the draft policy at its September 11 virtual meeting. Both meetings will be conducted as webinars and currently, no public testimony is scheduled.