WA/OR Lower Columbia River Salmon Seine Fishery - MMPA List of Fisheries
U.S. fisheries are classified under the Marine Mammal Protection Act according to the level of interactions that result in incidental mortality or serious injury of marine mammals.
Current Classification on the List of Fisheries
Category | III |
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Estimated Number of Participants | 1 |
Target Species | Chinook, coho salmon |
Applicable Take Reduction Plans | N/A |
Observer Coverage | State observers are required |
Marine Mammal Species/Stocks Killed or Injured | None documented |
Basis for Current Classification
Classified as a Category III fishery based on the lack of documented mortality or serious injuries of marine mammals based on the available data.
Distribution
The Category III WA/OR Lower Columbia River salmon seine fishery is located in the lower mainstem of the Columbia River in both Oregon and Washington. This includes the stretch of the Columbia River between the Bonneville Dam and the river mouth to the Pacific Ocean. The fishery targets coho and adipose fin-clipped Chinook salmon. The season is from mid-August to late September.
Gear Description
These seine nets are made of 3-strand nylon with a stretched mesh size no larger than 3 1/2 inches (8.9 cm). The seines cannot be longer than 200 fathoms (1200 ft or 365.8 m) or have a depth greater than 200 meshes. The seine can include a chafing strip panel at the bottom of the net with a maximum panel depth of 5 feet (1.5 m). The chafing mesh cannot be greater than 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) for beach seines, and 5 inches (12.7 cm) stretched for purse seines. Red corks are required at 25 fathom (150 ft or 45.7 m) intervals and must contrast with other corks used on the net.
Management
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife jointly manage the limited-entry fishery and authorize participants. An Emerging Fishery license and Experimental Fishery Permit from Washington and an Experimental Gear Permit from Oregon are needed to participate. The managers divide the Columbia River into management zones. This fishery historically has taken place in Zones 1-5. Different quota limits are set for adipose fin-clipped Chinook and coho for beach seines and purse seines. Any wild Chinook or steelhead are required to be released. An observer is required by the States if requested.
Historical Information
Original Category (Year added to the LOF) | III (1996) |
Original Number of Participants | 235 |
Basis for Original Classification | Listed as Category III because the fishery was expected to have a remote likelihood of incidental serious injury or mortality of marine mammals. |
Past Names | WA (all species) beach seine or drag seine (until 2016) |
Species/stocks historically documented as killed or injured (but not currently on the list) | None |
Timeline of Changes
2022 |
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2016 |
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