OCEAN-GOING SALMON anglers can circle June 22 as opening day off of Neah Bay and La Push.
Salmon season recommendations were adopted Wednesday night by the Pacific Fishery Management Council and forwarded to the National Marine Fisheries Service for final approval by May 16.
The Neah Bay Subarea (from the U.S./Canada border to Cape Alava) will have a guideline of 9,430 chinook and 8,300 marked coho quota for a season lasting from June 22 to Sept. 15 (provided fish remain).
Fishing will be open seven days a week with a two salmon daily limit, only one of which may be a chinook. All chinook must meet the minimum of 24 inches in length.
Chum non-retention and chinook non-retention east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh Line will both begin Aug. 1.
For La Push, there will be a 2,070 marked coho subarea quota and a 1,630 chinook guideline.
The same chum non-retention rule begins Aug. 1.
Forecasts for West Coast Chinook and coho stocks in 2024 are a mixed bag, with some low and high points when compared to last year. Federal requirements to conserve Fraser River (Canada) coho, lower Columbia River natural coho, southern Oregon/northern California coho, Puget Sound chinook, Klamath River fall chinook, and Sacramento River fall chinook are the main constraints for setting this year’s ocean salmon fisheries.
On the bright side, two natural coho stocks previously declared overfished (Queets River and Strait of Juan de Fuca) now meet the criteria for rebuilt status.
Puget Sound and Strait of Juan de Fuca fisheries will be announced soon.
Earth Day cleanup
Five Jefferson County state parks are among the 10 targeted statewide for cleanup during the Washington Coastal Cleanup on April 20.
Fort Worden and Fort Townsend are located in in Port Townsend; Fort Flagler and Mystery Bay are on Marrowstone Island and Shine Tidelands is near the Hood Canal Bridge.
Hobuck and Sooes beaches on Makah Tribal lands and beaches around Clallam Bay/Sekiu also will host cleanup efforts.
In 2023, 1,923 volunteers picked up 133,249 pounds of marine and firework debris off our beaches. That’s equivalent to the combined weight of 10 adult elephants.
A Discover Pass is required for vehicle access on state-managed lands on April 20.
To register, or for more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/PDN-CoastCleanup24.
Kid’s Fishing in Sequim
The 23rd Kid’s Fishing Day is set April 20 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Water Reuse Demonstration Pond on the north side of Carrie Blake.
All kids ages 14 and younger can fish accompanied by an adult.
The fish limit is two. Worms and Power Bait will be available and a fish cleaning station will be provided.
Event sponsors include the North Olympic Peninsula chapter of Puget Sound Anglers, city of Sequim and the state Department of Wildlife.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at sports@peninsuladailynews.com.
