Roche and Anacortes Derby Cancelled?

[rrenick65]

Rumor has it Area 7 will be shut down before these two derbies can take place this year. Quotas are being filled quickly and as a result no more blackmouth for the year. If this is the case then it's too bad, but gotta protect the future stocks.

[Nelly]

It's looking a heckuva lot like that is exactly going to be the case.
As of earlier this week, we were at 90% of the harvest guideline in Marine Area 7.
We'll know more by Monday but I would not be planning any February or March outings to the San Juans right now...

[olympic]

It is a shame hearing they are thinking of cancelling these derbies, but why are they considering cancelling the Anacortes derby? Areas 8-1, 8-2, plus area 9 remain open! It might make things more of a challenge for some; aren't these areas within the derby boundaries? If not, they could make these changes and inform everyone before the start of the derby. It would be a shame to see the Anacortes derby get cancelled with open areas close by! That would make the Cornet Bay ramp very busy!

[rrenick65]

Unfortunately both derbies are limited to MA 7. They could redirect the boundaries, but those other areas don't support as much boat traffic as MA 7 does. I don't think either derby will happen if they shut it down.

I spoke to an official at Roche Harbor and they remain hopeful that WDFW will allow the derby to continue, being so close to the starting date. They said the liquor, meals and other items for the event have already been paid for and refunding the tickets would really put a financial burden on the people at Roche if the derby were not to proceed. It could be there are just more fish in the area, personally the average size blackmouth is larger this year and the fish are as scrappy as I have seen in a long time out there, or the good weather and cheap gas has allowed for more opportunity. Either way the quota is the quota and to protect future years of fishing we need to tread lightly on this fishery. It's my personal favorite and I have been enjoying it for a long time, hopefully we will be able to figure out a way to make the season last longer, but it's going to be a collective effort.

[Nelly]

WDFW is conducting a Conference call later this morning with the Puget Sound Recreational Salmon Advisors and I'll post up what's coming down ASAP.
Bottom line? Sadly, the Roche event is definitely in question.

[salvelinus]

Tom:
Here is a question I am pondering, "should we allow 6-7 derby days to account for 15-19% of the TOTAL allocated encounters in specific marine areas?" The aforementioned data are averages over the past 3-4 years in MA 7. It appears that it is time that we re-think our objectives from the recreational fishery viewpoint. Increased human population in Puget Sound, technology advancements, and heightened visibility of fisheries can only lead to increased encounters and abbreviated seasons given the management paradigm that we are confronted with since Puget Sound Chinook were listed under ESA. I am not anti-derby as I annually participate in the Everett coho and Lake Stevens derbies. Both derbies do a great job at soliciting participation from future angling generations while directing take to species that do not fall under the ESA umbrella. I currently expect to fish for Chinook somewhere in Puget Sound from October through April and would appreciate the additional days on the water if the outdated mentality of unfettered proliferation of Chinook derby fishing were amended.
eric

[rrenick65]

It's officially back on!!! Here we go!

[Jeff Nance]

Hot off the press, we'll see how long this lasts before they close it down for the rest of the season...


NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
January 27, 2015
Contact: Ron Warren, (360) 902-2799

Salmon fishing in San Juan Islands open
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only starting Jan. 29

OLYMPIA – The recreational salmon fishery in Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands) will be closed for one day on Thursday, Jan. 29, and then will reopen on a schedule of Friday, Saturday and Sunday each week.

Fishery managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) made the change after catch rates continued to be higher than anticipated in the San Juan Islands, said Ron Warren, policy lead for WDFW’s fish program.

“Anglers have been very successful fishing in the San Juan Islands in recent months, prompting us to reduce the number of days each week this fishery is open,” Warren said. “This step will help us meet our overall conservation objectives for stocks of concern throughout Puget Sound.”

Earlier this month, WDFW reduced the catch limit in the San Juan Islands to one salmon per day, down from two, in an effort keep the fishery open as long as possible. The agency is evaluating catch rates and impacts to wild chinook stocks throughout Puget Sound to determine whether further action will be necessary in the coming weeks.

As of Jan. 25, anglers had kept or released 15,625 chinook salmon since October in Puget Sound, not including Hood Canal and south Sound. The management guideline for chinook in Puget Sound is 31,813.

Starting Jan. 29, the area is closed to salmon fishing Monday through Thursday each week. The catch limit will remain at one salmon daily. Anglers are required to release wild chinook.

Anyone still hoping to fish for chinook salmon in nearby waters Monday through Thursday can head to marine areas 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 8-1 (Deception Pass), 8-2 (Port Susan) and 9 (Admiralty Inlet), which are scheduled to remain open into April. Anglers should check for updates on WDFW’s Fishing Hotline (360-902-2500) or the department’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/.