Wildlife Commission to take testimony on Columbia fisheries restructuring

OLYMPIA — Public comments on the proposed restructuring of salmon and sturgeon fishing in the lower Columbia River will be accepted on Nov. 8 by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission.

The panel will meet at 8:30 a.m. in room No. 172 of the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. S.E. The Columbia River issue is scheduled for 2 p.m. Nov. 8

Since early September, representatives from Washington and Oregon have been meeting to discuss options for restructuring the fisheries.

At the direction of Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber, fishery managers in that state have been working to develop a plan that would phase out the use of gillnets by non-tribal fishers in the mainstem lower Columbia River by 2016.

At the upcoming meeting, department staff will brief the Washington commission on alternatives proposed by members of the bi-state workgroup, and their implications for Columbia River fisheries.

The commission will then take public comments on those proposals, which are posted on WDFW’s website at http://goo.gl/MCG5q.