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Take Action - Columbia River Sea Lion Legislation
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On June 26, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan Columbia River basin sea lion legislation sponsored by Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Battle Ground), H.R. 2083, by a strong 288-116 vote. Every member of the U.S. House from Washington, Oregon and Idaho voted for the legislation - Democrats and Republicans alike. Nearly identical legislation introduced in the Senate by Senators Jim Risch (R-ID) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), S. 3119, has been scheduled for a committee vote this Wednesday, August 1. This is great news.
S. 3119 and H.R. 2083 are the product of months of negotiations and represent the best (and likely last) chance to pass Columbia River sea lion legislation this year. With the growing statewide recognition about the impact of pinniped predation on endangered salmon and available prey for Southern Resident Killer Whales, it is critical that Congress take this important step.
CLICK HERE to send your two U.S. Senators and U.S House member a pre-drafted email (you can personalize it to increase its effectiveness) thanking them for their support and reminding them about the importance of passing the legislation this year - a sentiment shared by a recent editorial from The Seattle Times. |
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CCA Washington Derby Recap
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CCA Washington hosted two fishing derbies last weekend, with participants competing for thousands of dollars in prizes on opposite ends of the state. Despite near record setting high temperatures, both derbies had great participation and hosted incredible BBQ events.
With nearly 70 participants and 26 fish weighed-in during two days of fishing, the 6th Annual Summer Steelhead Challenge was a fantastic derby with fish caught in both the mainstem Columbia River and throughout the lower river tributaries. The biggest fish, weighing in at just under ten pounds, was caught by Jeremy Oury. Congratulations to all of our winners and thank you again to our fantastic donors, sponsors, and volunteers who make the event possible.
The 3rd Annual Baker Lake Sockeye Shootout was a great success as well. Participation has steadily grown at this derby, and in 2018 we had over 60 participants who weighed-in 40 fish! With some absolutely fantastic scenery, and chrome bright sockeye salmon, this is one derby you don't want to miss next year. We had a repeat winner in 2018, as David Sitton defended his 2017 Sockeye Shootout title. Once again, thank you to the great donors, sponsors, and volunteers that made this derby a success!
Unfortunately, our derby scheduled for July 19-20, the 7th Annual Pete Flohr Memorial Salmon Derby (Wenatchee Salmon Derby) was canceled due to an emergency closure to summer Chinook fishing on the upper Columbia River. The closure was short lived, with resumption of Chinook retention permitted in areas where the derby was to be held beginning on July 25th. We look forward to a return of one of the premier fishing derbies in Washington state next summer. |
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Baker Lake Sockeye Harvest Imbalance Continues
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Despite continued efforts by CCA and others to improve Baker Lake sockeye harvest equity while ensuring strong future sockeye runs through proposed conservation buffers, 2018 represents another year of frustration thanks to overharvest by tribal nets and a run that is once again below forecast. This year, new modeling showed a run of 35,002 sockeye returning to the scenic lake with a quota of 12,400 fish to be harvested by the Skagit Basin tribes and 12,400 fish made available (approximately 50% of these are caught by anglers) for harvest by the public. According to sportfishing advocate Frank Urabeck, tribal harvest as of July 25th has exceeded 13,000 sockeye, with just over 7,600 fish made available for sport harvest in Baker Lake as of July 30th!
It now appears that the Baker sockeye run will reach only about 30,000 - the fifth year in the past six that actual numbers fell short of pre-season forecasts. As a result, sport anglers and conservation objectives suffer as the tribes fish to the allocation based on the pre-season forecast. CCA proposed in-season fishery management improvements that would have helped prevent this situation, including a conservation first buffer that would provide assurances that stocks are not overharvested and management objectives are more likely to be achieved. With millions of dollars invested by Puget Sound Energy and WDFW to rebuild the Baker Lake sockeye fishery, it is unfortunate that much of the success of PSE's program is at risk of being lost due to overharvest |
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CCA Involved with Columbia Basin Partnership Task Force
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In 2017, NOAA Fisheries formed the Columbia Basin Partnership (CBP) Task Force to bring Northwest states, tribes, and stakeholders together in the hopes of developing shared, long-term goals for the future of Columbia River Basin salmon and steelhead populations. The intent for the process was to move beyond minimum "recovery goals" as required by the Endangered Species Act (ESA), to discuss broad-sense goals for listed and non-listed stocks that consider the conservation needs of these stocks, the need to provide continued tribal and non-tribal fishing opportunity through smart hatchery and harvest policies, and mitigation efforts tied to human development.
CCA's Regional Fisheries Director was appointed to the CBP Task Force and helps carry the voice of CCA's members and recreational anglers who are heavily invested in efforts to recover and rebuild salmon and steelhead populations. The group has developed provisional goals for 24 salmon and steelhead stocks in the Columbia River Basin with the involvement of regional teams of technical experts at the federal, state, tribal, and private levels. For many salmon and steelhead stocks the provisional abundance goals represent a significant increase over the current levels. You can find out more about the process at the NOAA Fisheries CBP Task Force Website. |
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Welcome our newest CCA Derby Sponsor - Yamaha
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Yamaha, the industry leader in outboard motors, is the new title sponsor of the CCA Washington STAR Tournament Series. CCA Washington currently hosts four derbies annually and will be growing that number in the coming years. We will begin to feature new branding for our derby series with Yamaha logos incorporated. For more information on Yamaha motors or to find a dealer near you, please visit the official Yamaha Outboards website. Thank you Yamaha!
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Modern Fish Act Passes U.S. House
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Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 200, a bipartisan bill that includes the Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2017 (Modern Fish Act). This historic vote marks the first time the priorities of the recreational fishing sector are included in the reauthorization of our nation's primary marine fisheries law, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The Modern Fish Act will finally give federal fisheries managers the tools and data they need to appropriately manage recreational fishing.
"We are grateful to our champions from both sides of the aisle in the House for recognizing the needs of recreational anglers and advancing this important fisheries management reform," said Patrick Murray, president of Coastal Conservation Association. "This is truly a watershed moment for anglers in our never-ending quest to ensure the health and conservation of our marine resources and anglers' access to them."
Renaissance Marine Group's director of marketing and sales, Bruce Larson, authored an editorial piece in The Seattle Times about the importance of the legislation for Washington residents and anglers. Larson notes that saltwater recreational fishing annually supports 6,499 jobs and generates a total sales impact of $774.74 million in Washington. |
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