Important information from Mark Yuasa in his excellent Seattle Times blog.
by Mark Yuasa, The Seattle Times
State Fish and Wildlife has decided to reopen to hatchery chinook fishery in the San Juan Islands this Friday to Sunday (Feb. 13-15) in what has been a very good winter fishery.
This decision comes on the heels of state fisheries reducing the daily catch limit from two-hatchery chinook to one back on Jan. 12 to control in their words “the fishery’s impacts on ‘wild fish’ stocks of concern.”
The fishery was supposed to be a five month-long season ending on April 30.
San Juan Island anglers must release all unmarked chinook and may keep only those with a missing clipped adipose fin, which identifies it as a hatchery fish.
A percentage of released wild chinook are not expected to survive, and are counted toward the management guideline of 7,775 chinook encounters in the San Juan Islands.
