In case you missed the e-mail from Big Fish:

ODFW announces coastal fall chinook regulations

Date: June 19, 2008

Contact:

Ron Boyce (971) 673-6081
Steve Williams (503) 947-6209
Fax: (541) 673-0372

Salem, Ore. -- The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife today announced a set of one-year restrictive regulations for coastal fall chinook salmon in ocean terminal, bay and river fisheries. The temporary regulations include reductions in daily and seasonal bag limits and area closures to protect wild fall chinook.

New Sport Regulations for Bays and Rivers

The new temporary sport regulations set a reduced aggregate bag limit for fall chinook caught in all open waters in the Marine, Northwest and Southwest Fishing Zones. Anglers will be allowed to keep one non-fin clipped adult chinook per day and five non-fin clipped adults for the season extending from August 1 to December 31, 2008. These regulations modify current regulations that allow two adult salmon or steelhead per day and 20 per year in the Zones. Regulations for jack salmon remain unchanged -- that is five per day and two daily limits in possession.

Exceptions to these temporary regulations include:

• Current regulations for Yachats River, Hunter Creek and Pistol River will remain in place with non- fin clipped adult chinook counting towards the seasonal aggregate.
• Current regulations for the Coos and Rogue Rivers will remain in place, except to allow no more than 10 non-fin clipped adult chinook per season with five non-fin clipped adult chinook counting towards the seasonal aggregate. In addition, the seasonal aggregate bag limit for non- fin clipped adult chinook on the Rogue starts July 12 rather than August 1.
• The opening of the chinook season on the Chetco River will be delayed until November 1.

In addition, the temporary regulations establish new angling deadline closures for fall chinook in order to protect spawning fish. The new deadlines are for the Siletz (Hwy 229 Bridge at River Mile 38), Big Elk (Bear Creek at RM 5), Alsea (Five Rivers at RM 23), Five Rivers (closed), Siuslaw (Lake Creek at RM 30), Lake Creek (closed), North Fork Smith (closed), South Fork Coos (Besse Cr. RM 6.25), Millicoma (Dora's Place boat ramp RM 0.25), South Fork Coquille (Middle Fork at RM 5), North Fork Coquille (closed), Middle Fork Coquille (closed), Floras Creek and Floras Lake outlet (Floras Creek bridge at RM 5), and Sixes River (Edson Creek at RM 10).

New Ocean Sport and Commercial Regulations off Tillamook, Elk, and Chetco Rivers

The temporary regulations also retain limited sport and commercial seasons for the Tillamook, Elk River and Chetco River Ocean Terminal Areas. Daily and seasonal bag limits for the terminal sport fisheries will be part of the aggregate bag limit set for all open waters in the Marine, Northwest and Southwest Fishing Zones.

Tillamook Terminal sport fishery is from September 1 – November 15 with a limit of one non-fin clipped adult chinook per day that counts towards the Zones seasonal aggregate; the commercial season is from September 1-- November 15 with a quota of 500 chinook and a landing and possession limit of 25 chinook per calendar week and 28 inch minimum length.

The Elk River Terminal sport fishery is from November 1-30 with a limit of one non-fin clipped adult chinook per day that counts towards the Zones seasonal aggregate; the commercial season is from November 1- November 30 with a quota of 250 chinook and a landing and possession limit of 10 chinook per calendar week and 28 inch minimum length.

The Chetco River Terminal sport fishery is October 1-4 with a goal of 250 chinook landed. The daily bag limit is one adult chinook and any non-fin clipped adult Chinook counts towards the Zones seasonal aggregate bag limit. If weather limits effort, additional days October 10-11 and October 17-18 will be considered. The commercial season is October 5-8, 12-15, and 19-31 or a quota of 250 Chinook with a daily landing and possession limit of 10 chinook and 28 inch minimum length.

The return of fall chinook to Oregon's coastal rivers and streams is forecast be significantly below established goals and long-term averages. The exceptions are rivers in the Tillamook Bay system and the Rogue River which should be near established goals.

In addition to meeting conservation needs the restrictions are necessary to assist in meeting spawning escapement goals outlined in the new chinook agreement under the US/Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty.