odfw – Fishermens News

5Feb

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ODFW Issues Fleet Advisory to Avoid Whale Entanglement

Oregon fisheries officials faced with another humpback whale entangled in multiple sets of commercial crab gear have issued a fleet advisory for the Dungeness crab fishery in all waters off the Oregon coast to avoid setting gear where whales are transiting or foraging. The advisory, issued Jan. 30, became effective immediately. The latest entanglement comes in the wake of a record four entanglements, involving three humpback whales and one fin whale, attributed to Oregon commercial crab gear in 2024. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials reminded the fleet of crab fishing best practices to help reduce the risk of entanglements at all times, but especially when entanglement risk is elevated during times of higher crabbing effort or when higher numbers of humpback wha...

Oregon’s Dungeness Crab Fishery Now Open Through Aug. 14

15Jan

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Oregon’s Dungeness Crab Fishery Now Open Through Aug. 14

Oregon’s multi-million dollar commercial Dungeness crab fishery is scheduled to run through Aug. 14, barring any emergency closures, after a late start prompted by pre-season testing that showed the crab were insufficient in meat yield to open before Jan. 15. Tests showed that the crab were too low in meat yield in four regions, and domoic acid was elevated in crab viscera (internal organs) in two areas of the south coast, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). Domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxin found in shellfish, also known as amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), can cause a range of symptoms from vomiting and abdominal cramps to seizures and coma. Last year’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery paid over $90 million in ex-vessel value to harvester...

Dungeness Crab Season from Cape Falcon, Ore. to Calif. Border Opens Soon

11Dec

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Dungeness Crab Season from Cape Falcon, Ore. to Calif. Border Opens Soon

Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery is scheduled to open Dec. 16 from Cape Falcon, inside Oswald State Park, to the California border. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced plans for the opener on Dec. 6, saying pre-season testing in the area shows crab meat fill meets criteria and domoic acid is below the safety threshold. State fishery biologists said pre-season testing in Long Beach, Wash. shows crab meat fill is significantly lower than required for commercial harvest. Oregon officials said they plan to open the north coast in coordination with southern Washington to ensure consumers get a quality product and crab is not wasted. Dec. 31 is the earliest the area could open, according to Oregon Fish and Wildlife. Meanwhile, the commercial fleet can b...

Oregon Legislature Boosts Investment in Marine Reserves

13Mar

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Oregon Legislature Boosts Investment in Marine Reserves

Oregon legislators have approved a landmark bill aimed at strengthening state marine reserves, plus providing a commitment to ocean conservation, stakeholder collaboration and sustainable management of marine resources. The state Senate vote of 26-3 on March 6 came in the wake of the 10-year anniversary of Oregon’s marine reserves program, and a unanimous 55-0 vote in the House of Representatives earlier that week. The legislation increased by $894,324 for the biennium ending June 30, 2025 for an adaptive management and social monitoring program to support marine reserves. The package includes $479,324 for three permanent positions and related services and supplies, $100,000 for a Sea Grant-based fellow position to support new research, and $315,000 for contracts to conduct fa...

Salmon Preseason Planning Meeting Set for Feb. 28 in Oregon

31Jan

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Salmon Preseason Planning Meeting Set for Feb. 28 in Oregon

State fisheries officials in Oregon have scheduled the 2024 ocean salmon preseason planning meeting -- both in person and virtual -- for Feb 28, on the Hatfield Marine Science Center’s campus in Newport, Ore. The agenda calls for a review of the 2023 seasons and a first look at the 2024 salmon forecasts. The Ocean Salmon Industry Group meeting is also set to take a first look at 2024 salmon forecasts and initiate development of Oregon preferred recreational and commercial ocean salmon season concepts, with public input, to take forward through the Pacific Fishery Management Council regulation setting process. The meeting is open to commercial salmon troll fishers, ocean sport fishing anglers and charter operators, and others interested in participating in development of the 20...

18Oct

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Nominations Sought For Columbia River Fishing Advisory Groups

Nominations are open for advisors to fill positions on the commercial and recreational advisory groups from Washington and Oregon to provide input on fishing seasons on the Columbia River. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) announced Oct. 13 that they’re accepting nominations through Nov. 3 for appointees to three-year terms on the Columbia River Commercial Fishing Advisory Group and the Columbia River Recreational Fishing Advisory Group. The new terms begin in January 2024 and run through December 2026. Each group meets two to four times annually to develop recommendations for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and smelt fisheries. The recreational advisory group focuses on recreational fisheries jointly managed...

ODFW Seeks Applicants for Fish Restoration and Enhancement Board

20Sep

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ODFW Seeks Applicants for Fish Restoration and Enhancement Board

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is seeking applicants to fill a commercial salmon industry position on the state Fish Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) Program Board. The ideal candidate, according to the ODFW, would be a resident of Oregon who’s able to represent the state’s commercial salmon industry. Stated desirable attributes include involvement with local fishing groups or fish management, previous experience with boards or commissions, and knowledge of, or involvement with commercially caught salmon in Oregon. “We encourage individuals that can represent seafood processors, the commercial troll fleet, or gillnet fleet to apply,” Fish and Wildlife said in a statement. The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program was created by the Oregon Legislature in 198...

Limits Set on Oregon Harvest of End of Commercial Season for Chinook, Coho Salmon

23Aug

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Limits Set on Oregon Harvest of End of Commercial Season for Chinook, Coho Salmon

Federal and state authorities have set limits through Sept. 30 for the commercial troll harvest of two salmon species in Oregon’s commercial salmon troll fishery between the U.S.-Canadian border and Cape Falcon, Ore. The announcement this past week from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said harvesters would be limited to weekly landing and possession per vessel of seven Chinooks and 100 adipose marked coho salmon. The announcement comes in the wake of NOAA Fisheries consulting with the Pacific Fishery Management Council, the states of Oregon and Washington, and fishery representatives in a conference call. Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife said the harvest of Chinooks to date in that area had passed 90% of the 13,000 Chinook quota, leaving only 1,251 fish to b...

10May

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ODFW Issues Fleet Advisory for Dungeness Crab Fishery to Protect Whales

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials have issued a fleet advisory for commercial Dungeness crab harvesters through May 31, urging vigilance to avoid setting gear in area where humpback whales are transiting or foraging to further minimize risk of entanglement. ODFW is anticipating an above average crab harvest in May, based on the high volume of late-season tag purchases. Meanwhile, surveys conducted in Oregon waters from April 13 through April 25 observed scattered humpbacks and other large whales in waters deeper than 270 fathoms, primarily in the southern region from Newport to the Oregon-California border. However one aggregation of about 30 to 50 humpbacks was observed within 40 fathoms, just outside the Columbia River mouth. Due to ocean dynamics and the rapid movem...

Study: Marine Heatwave Impacted Rockfish, Not Always for the Worse

5Apr

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Study: Marine Heatwave Impacted Rockfish, Not Always for the Worse

An Oregon State University (OSU) study that tracked juvenile black rockfish in nearshore waters from 2013 to 2019 has concluded that the young fish fared better than feared in a marine heatwave between 2014 and 2016. “The study is important for gauging the conditions and making management plans that will affect the species’ survival as the ocean experiences increasing variability because of climate change,” Will Fennie, the study’s lead author and former OSU doctoral student now with NOAA Fisheries, said. Fennie worked with OSU College of Science researchers Su Sponaugle and Kirsten Grorud-Colvert on the study, which was published March 30 in the journal Scientific Reports. “Oceanographic conditions dictate water temperature, which influences larval dispersal and food availability -- ...