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Governor Signs Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Bill
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Governor Gregoire recently signed House Bill 1698, which was passed by the Legislature to reform the Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Program to better focus on increasing angler opportunity in Puget Sound. This program is funded through Puget Sound recreational fishing license purchases, so the legislation recognizes that program activities should bennefit anglers and angling opportunity. Many improvements to the program may be needed in light of poor fish survival within Puget Sound and the establishment of clear, outcome-based goals is the first step. HB 1698 and its Senate companion bill, SB 5291, were sponsored by Rep. Kristine Lytton (D-Anacortes) and Sen. Dan Swecker (R-Rochester).
The Enhancement Program is also referred to as the “blackmouth program.” Members of the Program oversight committee are appointed by the WDFW Director to represent anglers in Puget Sound. Four of the committee members are CCA members as well.
Below is a photo of HB 1698 being signed by the Governor. CCA's lobbyist, Scott Sigmon, is on the far right in the photo.
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Puget Sound Commercial Crabber's attempt legal action to grab a larger share of crabs.
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On October 14th, 2010 the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to bring more fairness to the Puget Sound Dungeness fishery by adopting "Option A" for its new Puget Sound Crab policy. This long overdue policy change rightfully recognizes the importance of recreational crabbing in Puget Sound and provides a SIGNIFICANT increase in fishing opportunity for Puget Sound crabbers. The commission's decision increases equity in the crab allocation and is a victory for recreational crabbers.
Last month the Puget Sound Crab Association (PSCA) and a group of six individual commercial crab fisherman filed a motion for a preliminary injunction asking the court to stay the implementation of Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission’s new policy claiming it was “arbitrary and capricious”. If successful, this legal action would have reversed the Commission’s policy and reduced the recreational crab seasons and harvest levels. Specifically, the commercial crab fisherman asked Judge McPhee to place a temporary restraining order on the upcoming season until their case could be heard.
Judge McPhee heard arguments from both sides and ruled from the bench that the Commission followed proper procedure and was not “arbitrary and capricious” in changing the Dungeness crab policy; denying PSCA’s request for a temporary restraining order. PSCA can still continue their legal action without the a temporary restraining order, however the ruling from the bench sends a strong signal that the Commission’s new crab policy will stand.
Having fought hard along side PSA and other recreational anglers, CCA Washington is pleased with this outcome and appreciates the hard work by WDFW and the Attorney General’s office in preparing for this hearing and advocating in favor of recreational crabber and the people of Washington State. |
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Chapter Notes
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CCA Helps With Beach Cleanup
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Volunteers from the North Olympic Peninsula Chapter of CCA participated in a cleanup of the Straits of Juan De Fuca organized by Klallam Earthday Challenge. The cleanup encompassed beaches from Pillar Point to Dungeness Spit. CCA-NOP cleaned up the west end ofFreshwater Bay near the boat launch, covering about two miles of beach. Freshwater Bay is a popular spot for fishermen, crabbers, kayakers and beachcombers. The group picked up four tires, pieces of an old washing machine, and 8 bags of mostly plastic and styrofoam debris. Freshwater Bay is critical habitat for forage fish so it was nice to see it returned to a near pristine conditon. After three hours of beach cleaning, the volunteers enjoyed beer, wine and snacks to celebrate a cleaner beach. |
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$250 Grant Awarded For North Sound Chapter's Kid's Program
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Puget Sound Energy has a grant program to benefit community activities of their employees. Through one employee, who is also a CCA member, a $250 grant has been awarded for the purchase of materials and tying vices used by the chapter in connection with their ongoing kids’ program.
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Miscellaneous
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Acoustical Tracking of Marine Critters
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Over time, acoustical tracking will add value to CCA’s marine conservation efforts.
Your editor thought you might find this to be an interesting read, although it has nothing to do with current CCA activities, Position Statements, or chapter events. This information is taken from the “May 2011 POST e-blast,” sent by the Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking Project.
Roving receivers
Over the past year we've told you about POST deploying miniature acoustic receivers for trial missions on ocean gliders. At the same time, colleagues from NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center deployed a similar mini receiver on an elephant seal in Central California. Turns out that the elephant seal traveled up to the Gulf of Alaska and encountered a lingcod that colleagues from the Prince William Sound Science Center (PWSSC) tagged with an acoustic transmitter in 2008, 15 miles offshore and 300 miles southeast of where the ling was tagged!
Not only is it fantastic to see further evidence of roving receivers providing useful information as they transit the open ocean on gliders and animals, this instance also gives the PWSSC team an idea of their tagged lingcod's whereabouts after it moved away from the POST line in Prince William Sound. Thanks to the elephant seal also being outfitted with a satellite tag for location, and temperature and depth tag to model dive profiles, the researchers have a sense of what the ling and seal were experiencing in the water column where they "met" each other.
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May 20, 2011
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Meeting Dates and Deadlines
WDFW Commission Meetings
June 3-4; 2011 Olympia
Agenda and Updates here
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Banquet Dates
North Central WA
Saturday, May 21
Apple Annies - Cashmere
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Volunteers Needed!
The work of CCA is dependent upon volunteers. Please volunter to help. No experience is needed. To volunteer in any way, a little or a lot, go to our website here.
Thank you!
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Feedback and Comments
CCA Washington is interested in hearing from you. Visit our website here to submit comments and questions you may have. Thanks!
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