Peninsula Daily News
OLYMPIA — Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife fishery managers invite the public to join a virtual town hall at 5 p.m. Oct. 26 to gather feedback ahead of the 2021-2022 coastal steelhead season.
The town hall marks the second meeting in a suite of public engagement opportunities this fall.
“As we look back on last season, it’s important to our team of fishery managers, research scientists and fisheries biologists that we chart a successful communication path with those interested in coastal steelhead,” said WDFW fish program director Kelly Cunningham. “At the core of that is a commitment to transparent, open dialogue with the public as we consider the various needs.”
The meeting will include discussion around stock assessment and creel monitoring results from the 2020-2021 season, preliminary forecasts for the 2021-22 season and some possible regulatory options for the 2021-2022 season.
Last season’s fishery restricted the use of bait and fishing from a boat, ultimately ending in an early closure to help increase the number of wild steelhead that return to the spawning grounds. Tribal governments took similar steps to help support coastal steelhead conservation and are expediting their postseason analysis.
For more information about the town hall as well as prior and future coastal steelhead virtual town hall meetings, visit www.tinyurl.com/WDFWtownhall. The meeting will be recorded and posted online so people can watch afterward at their convenience.
