WA River Closures

FAOL Community Sound Off
1

WDFW FISHING RULE CHANGE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov
[LEFT]January 15, 2010 [/LEFT]
[SIZE=4]Closure of Skagit and Sauk rivers to fishing [/SIZE]

Action: Close the Skagit and Sauk Rivers to all fishing.
Species affected: All game fish species
Location and effective closure dates:

[ul]
[li]Skagit River from the mouth upstream to Highway 536 (Memorial Hwy. Bridge) at Mount Vernon will be closed Feb.16, 2010 through April 30, 2010.[/li][li]Skagit River from the Highway 536 (Memorial Hwy. Bridge) at Mount Vernon upstream to the Gorge Powerhouse will be closed Feb.16, 2010 through May 31, 2010.[/li][li]Sauk River from the mouth upstream to the Whitechuck River will be closed Feb. 16, 2010 through June 4, 2010.[/li][/ul]
Reasons for action: The closure will reduce incidental hooking mortality on wild steelhead. The 2009/2010 forecasted return of wild winter steelhead to the Skagit Basin is expected to be below the escapement floor of 6,000.
Other information: The rivers will reopen to fishing as listed in the 2010/2012 Fishing in Washington Sport Fishing Rules.
Information Contact: Region 4 (425) 775-1311.
Fishers must have a current Washington fishing license, appropriate to the fishery. Check the WDFW “Fishing in Washington” rules pamphlet [FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]for details on fishing seasons and regulations. Fishing rules are subject to change. Check the WDFW Fishing hotline for the latest rule information at (360) 902-2500, press 2 for recreational rules. For the Shellfish Rule Change hotline call (360)796-3215 or toll free 1-866-880-5431. [/FONT]

2

I don’t disagree with the closure of the Skagit system but I think this is simply another pointless move by WDFW that does little to nothing for the Skagit Steelhead. Shutting down river systems to sport fishing seems to be a way for WDFW to look like they are doing something to save fish when in reality we are facing the disappearance of yet another run with nothing of real substance being done to save them by the WDFW or the politicians that control WDFW.

Personally I believe Washington State would just as soon have the fish go extinct. It would save them a lot of hassle and allow the logging companies, dam operators, developers, etc, to continue with their perspective activities with no further interference from those pesky fish or the people and organizations trying to save them.

3

A few years ago I was working on an article for Scripts/Howard on Pacific salmon. I called the WA Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife and got to some big shot who told me, (no kidding this is real) “I hope they all go extinct so we can do it again the right way.”

Yes dear people, this is really the way they think. I don’t believe there is any hope for us at all.:confused: