Senators Ban together to support
ODFW Commission on Gillnetting
By Liz McMaster
Dividing up the Columbia River salmon run continues to be a controversial, pitting commercial (gillnet) against sport fishers. Special interest groups have also aligned themselves with either side in order to do what they feel is best with this coveted resource.
In 2012, Measure 81 was defeated by Oregon voters, allowing non-tribal Oregon commercial fishers to catch salmon in Columbia River using gillnets in areas below Bonneville Dam. Washington gillnet licenses were recognized as valid in both the Oregon and Washington waters of the river. Then-Governor John Kitzhaber pushed a new ban, and the Commission backed him in December of 2012, in spite of the defeat of Measure 81. The ban would phase out gillnets in the main stem of the Columbia by 2017.
In January of 2017, a 4-3 vote by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission against the gillnet ban and to continue to allow gillnet fishermen on the main channel of the Columbia River. This decision is supported by state Rep. David Gomberg, D-Central Coast; Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, Sen. Arnie Roblan, D-Coos Bay, Sen Jeff Kruse, R-Roseburg, Rep. Caddy McKeown, D-Coos Bay, Rep. Deborah Boone, D-Cannon Beach; and Rep. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford in a letter last week. Washington State’s management decision was also mentioned, which the group known as Coastal Caucus says unfairly divides the salmon resource in favor of sport anglers and “to the detriment of those who share the river and make their living by commercial fishing.”.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown wishes to reverse this compromise that would allow the limited use of commercial gillnets on the Columbia River in favor of balling gillnets altogether beginning in April. In a letter to Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission Chair Michael Finley, Brown calls for the commission to comply with state policy and also with the state of Washington, which voted in January to end gillnetting in the main channel in two years and also to increase sport fishers’ portion of the Chinook salmon catch. This order would override the plan approved by the commission that opted to split the Columbia River Chinook salmon catch with recreational fishers accounting for 80 percent and gillnetters being allowed 20 percent of the overall catch. Legislators Sen. Fred Girod, R-Stayton, and Rep. Bill Kennemer, R-Oregon City also would like to end gillnetting on the Columbia’s main stem, voicing their opinions publicly.
Gillnet fishermen have deep family ties to the industry and contribute economic value to the surrounding communities. Commercial gillnetters also sell their catch to markets for sale to the public, who otherwise would have no access to this resource without taking up sport fishing.
Recreational fishers express concern that gillnetting takes fish indiscriminately and can’t differentiate between wild and hatchery fish. Sport anglers want to move gillnet activities to the side channels of the river, and argue that recreational fishing brings in more economic returns to Oregon communities overall than commercial fishing.
For more information, visit the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife site http://www.dfw.state.or.us/
To write to Governor Brown, the address is: Governor Kate Brown State Capitol Building 900 Court Street NE, 160 Salem, OR 97301 Phone: (503) 378-4582
