A COMMITTED GROUP of anglers has been doggedly working their butts off to try and bring about change in how halibut fishieries are conducted.
The Olympic Peninsula Halibut and Salmon Coalition has been building a broad-based consortium of citizens, elected officials and governing bodies in a fight over declining halibut fishing opportunity and the subsequent drastic economic impacts associated with a downturn in days on the water.
Now the Port of Port Townsend has joined the port and city of Port Angeles and Clallam County commissioners in supporting efforts to extend the 2018 halibut fishing season.
The three state legislators representing all of Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor County, Sen. Kevin Van De Wege, Rep. Mike Chapman and Rep. Steve Tharinger, are yet to express support for halibut expansion efforts for 2018 and beyond quite yet, but are confident of a maximum seven-day fishery this May and June.
Right now, a three-day fishery is planned this spring, with four additional days possible so long as the halibut poundage quota is not met.
The city of Forks is likely to be the next to pledge support to the efforts to move toward a 6-halibut seasonal limit with a broader, safer fishing season.
Coalition member Dave Croonquist is currently in Vancouver, Wash. hoping to get back some of the halibut quota recreational anglers ceded to commercial sablefish (black cod) fishermen more than a decade ago.
That may not pass this go-around, but its another step in the right direction for expanded halibut fisheries off the North Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sound.
The fight needs funds, though, and a spaghetti feed fundraiser is planned to help with expenses such as Croonquist’s travel and lodging at fisheries meetings.
The fundraiser, featuring spaghetti cooked up by Toga’s Soup House Deli, will be held at the Port Angeles Moose Lodge, 809 S. Pine St., from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 18.
Moose Lodge members and guests and the angling public are all invited to nosh some noodles and raise some money for the effort.
The minimum donation is $10, with larger donations appreciated.
North of Falcon meeting
Fish and Wildlife’s North of Falcon meeting will be hosted by the North Olympic Peninsula Chapter of Puget Sound Anglers on Thursday.
The meeting will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church, 100 S. Blake Ave. in Sequim, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Fish biologists will discuss data regarding the salmon season setting process for the upcoming year.
The interested fishing public is highly encouraged to come and let your voice be heard.
Fish and Wildlife staffers also will take questions from the public.
Wild coho killer
Billy Swann, a Southwest Washington fishing guide, acted with callous disregard for the law when he was caught clubbing and finning wild coho landed on the Cowlitz River.
One of the two fish Swann killed was a female full of eggs.
On Oct. 1, 2014, Swann, now 52, was guiding a trip for the top salespeople of a “national bait company” not identified by federal prosecutors in charging papers. During that trip, which was broadcast over the internet, Swann encouraged two men to catch wild coho.
Swann clubbed the fish after they were landed to kill them, then cut off the adipose fins to make them resemble hatchery fish.
The brazenly illegal conduct had been caught on the web broadcast and was reported to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“With so many putting so much into bringing back our cherished wild salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest, this conduct is particularly offensive,” U. S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes said in a statement.
“A salmon fishing guide who makes his living off our natural resources should have respected the rules that are meant to ensure those resources will always be there for all of us.”
Swann was interviewed by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration investigators in 2015. He “was not forthright during the interview,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Wilkinson said in charging documents. “He denied unlawfully catching the fish, and told the agent that the photographs of the salmon with intact adipose fins ‘could have been Photoshopped.’”
But about that livestreamed video showing his illegal misdeeds. Oh yes, that.
Seeing the writing on the wall, Swann plead guilty to a misdemeanor federal charge of violating the Endangered Species Act, and was ordered Tuesday to pay a fine of $7,500. Frustratingly, He continues to operate a guide service.
He shouldn’t be allowed to fish, let alone guide. He has shown a clear disregard for the law, for an Endangered Species Act-listed species and a disturbing lapse in angling ethics.
I believe you have to hold guides to a higher standard. And if they violate said standard in such a disgusting manner, you lose the privilege.
Multi-season tags
Deer and elk hunters have until March 31 to enter their names into the drawing for a 2017 multiple-season tag, which can greatly increase the opportunity for success in the field.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife will hold the drawing in mid-April, randomly selecting names for 8,500 multiple-season deer tags and 1,000 multiple season elk tags.
Winners of the drawing will be eligible to purchase a special tag allowing them to participate in archery, muzzleloader, as well as modern firearm general hunting seasons for deer or elk in 2017. The deadline to purchase the multiple-season tag is July 31.
Winners may choose any weapon type when applying for a special permit to hunt deer or elk. Winners who purchase the multiple season elk tag can participate in general elk hunting seasons in both eastern and western Washington.
the tags can be used only during general seasons and in game management units open during a modern firearm, muzzleloader, or archery general season. For example, winners may not hunt during the muzzleloader general season in an area that is not open for the muzzleloader general season.
Hunters can apply only once for each species and are limited to harvesting one deer or elk.
A multiple season application can be purchased from authorized license dealers, online at fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov, or by calling 866-246-9453. The application costs $7.10 for residents and $110.50 for nonresidents.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
