The state Department of Fish & Wildlife announced late last week that it has reached a draft agreement with co-managing tribes for this year’s fisheries.
With continued low returns of chinook salmon, including for the Skagit and Stillaguamish rivers, river and marine fisheries within Puget Sound are expected to again be restricted.
“Setting seasons for Puget Sound is always a challenge … We worked very hard this year to preserve fishing opportunity where we could, while recognizing that conservation concerns will always impact everything we do,” Fish & Wildlife Intergovernmental Salmon Manager Kyle Adicks said in a news release.
Under the draft agreement, there will be no salmon fishing on the Stillaguamish River in 2021 and strict protections for Skagit River fish, according to the release.
Winter salmon fishing will again be mostly closed in marine areas including around the San Juan Islands and Deception Pass, and catch quotas will be reduced in marine areas where fishing is allowed.
Most marine areas will be open for summer fishing from mid-June into August, and fisheries for pink salmon are expected to be a bright spot in Puget Sound, according to the release.
The draft agreement was tentatively reached Thursday following a weeklong Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting held via webinar.
“These are difficult times for salmon in Washington, which means it’s also a difficult time for fishing,” Fish & Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind said in the release issued Friday. “Fortunately, there should still be some good opportunities available to anglers throughout the state. We’ll be monitoring returns closely to make sure we’re staying within our conservation objectives, and modify fisheries as needed.”
The draft agreement now goes to the National Marine Fisheries Service for approval and final rulemaking. There will be an additional opportunity for public comment.
