Washington Salmon Reef Net Fishery - MMPA List of Fisheries

Current Classification on the List of Fisheries

^ Number of participants estimates are based on state and federal fisheries permit data. The estimated number of participants is expressed in terms of the number of active participants in the fishery, when possible. If this information is not available, the estimated number of vessels or persons licensed for a particular fishery is provided. If no recent information is available on the number of participants, then the number from the most recent LOF is used. NOAA Fisheries acknowledges that, in some cases, these estimations may be inflating actual effort.

*Observer coverage levels include the latest information reported in the most current final Stock Assessment Report (SAR).

¹ Indicates the stock or species is driving the classification of the fishery.

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 salmon reef net fishery targets sockeye, Chinook, pink, coho, and chum salmon within Puget Sound. Currently reef nets are only allowed in an area around the San Juan Islands. The fishery usually starts around mid-September and extends into early November.

Gear Description

Reef nets are suspended between two anchored boats upstream from the river mouth that the salmon use to pass through on their way to freshwater spawning grounds. The bottom ropes are much lower than the bunt to create an incline, which gradually raises up to catch the salmon when passing over the net. The lead lines of the reef net are floating at all times in order to keep the net suspended at its required target depth. Reef nets are set so that the dominant daytime tide, “flood” tide, pushes the salmon to follow the lead lines over webbing and into the bunt of the net. Streamers are woven into the side and bottom ropes in order to potentially trick salmon by giving the illusion of an eelgrass bed. The net is pulled to the surface by a system of battery powered winches, all salmon trapped in the bunt are maneuvered into a live well of the outside vessel. The vessels and gear are anchored in one place for the duration of the summer or fall fishing seasons and set year after year in the same locations. The nets cannot be anchored to pilings. The reef nets are a maximum of 300 meshes on either side, have only two leads, and the mesh size is equal to or greater than 3.5 inches (8.9 cm). The leads are a maximum of 200 feet (61.0 m) in length from the anchor boat bows to the nearest end of the head buoys.

Management

The fishery requires a limited entry permit that is transferable. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Puget Sound Treaty Tribes, and NOAA Fisheries jointly manage salmon harvest, generally through season openings, mesh size limits, and limits regarding the amount of time and effort is allowed each day or night within the various areas. A portion of the fishery is managed by the Fraser River Panel, which is composed of representatives from the U.S. and Canada. 

Fishermen cannot keep any unmarked (clipped adipose fin and a healed scar at the site of the clipped fin) Chinook during the season or any chum caught before October 1st. Fishermen must attend a fish friendly workshop to fish in certain areas. Fishermen must submit logbooks to WDFW for any retained Chinook salmon. Every fisherman is required to report lost netting to WDFW. Emergency regulation and in-season changes can occur based on stock allocations and conservation objectives.

Historical Information

Timeline of Changes