A GOOD ALTERNATIVE? Hardly.
Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch – which offers information designed for consumers to make sustainable seafood purchases — recently designated gillnetted wild steelhead caught on West End rivers as a “good alternative” when selecting fish at the supermarket.
This means the threatened populations of wild steelhead can be sold nationwide in stores like Whole Foods Market as a sustainable fish choice. That’s an incorrect and irresponsible move and will not protect dwindling wild steelhead stocks here on the North Olympic Peninsula.
State Department of Fish and Wildlife data shows wild steelhead populations returning to Olympic Peninsula rivers experienced as much as a 50 percent decline since 1980. Rivers such as the Quillayute and Bogachiel experienced some of the lowest returns on record last year.
Most recreational anglers had long practiced catch and release techniques when hooked up to a wild steelhead, and with the 2016-17 fishing regulations, the rule allowing retention of one wild steelhead was officially taken off the books.
Recreational anglers seem to be doing their part to keep fish stocks stable. They realize how close these fish runs are to extinction and are sending fish back and fishing with less effective methods to preserve these stocks.
The Wild Steelhead Coalition reports that for the past year scientists at Trout Unlimited and Wild Salmon Center were working with Seafood Watch and providing data on the declining runs, even pointing out discrepancies in their assessment process.
Not only does this label threaten these famed wild steelhead populations, but it also misleads well-intentioned consumers who will unknowingly purchase these fish.
Meanwhile, many tribes continue to use gillnets to catch these fish and decline to put in place stricter harvest and catch monitoring guidelines.
I certainly respect tribal treaty rights to harvest salmon and steelhead.
But there needs to be balance. There needs to be prudent examination of data and an understanding of the dire reality wild steelhead face. The abundance isn’t there to support gillnetting. And it’s certainly not there to have these fish as table fare.
No digs at Kalaloch
Clam digs are underway through Monday, but a planned dig at Kalaloch was put off when Fish and Wildlife staffers were unable to collect enough clams for a toxin sample.
Fish and Wildlife plans to conduct an abundance survey at the next opportunity to determine whether there are sufficient clams at Kalaloch to proceed with digs tentatively scheduled later this month and in April, coastal shellfish manager Dan Ayres said.
“We’re not sure what’s happening with clams at Kalaloch,” Ayres said.
“There were plenty of clams on the beach when we surveyed before the season began. However, we’ve seen a decline in clam numbers since then.”
The upcoming dig is approved on the following beaches, dates and evening low tides:
• Today, 4:28 p.m.; -0.1 feet; Mocrocks, Twin Harbors
• Friday, 5:13 p.m.; -0.3 feet; Copalis, Twin Harbors
• Saturday, 5:54 p.m.; -0.3 feet; Mocrocks, Twin Harbors
• Sunday, 7:31 p.m.; -0.1 feet; Copalis, Twin Harbors
• Monday, 8:06 p.m.; 0.3 feet; Twin Harbors
State shellfish managers recommend that diggers hit the beach an hour or two before low tide. Digging is not allowed on any beach before noon.
Razor clam diggers should be aware that Mocrocks and Copalis won’t be open on the same days.
Shellfish managers have been alternating open dates between the two beaches to maximize the number of days available this season.
Fish and Wildlife has added new maps of Mocrocks and Copalis to help diggers distinguish between the two beaches. Those maps can be found on the state’s razor clam web site at tinyurl.com/PDN-BeachMap.
Copalis beach includes Ocean Shores, Oyhut, Ocean City and Copalis areas while Mocrocks includes Iron Springs, Roosevelt Beach, Seabrook, Pacific Beach and Moclips.
North of Falcon
Fish and Wildlife’s North of Falcon meeting will be hosted by the North Olympic Peninsula Chapter of Puget Sound Anglers next Thursday, March 16.
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.
Kings on the uptick
The 35th annual Murray Geoduck Salmon Derby was held last weekend and Ty Davison took top prize with 8-pound, 5-ounce hatchery chinook.
Zack Speaks was second with a 7-pound, 6-ounce fish and Ray Bosley and Kris Sims tied with 7-pound, 5-ounce specimans.
Quilcene’s Ward Norden, a former fisheries biologist and owner of Snapper Tackle Company, attended last Saturday’s weigh-in.
“The size of the fish was remarkably small, averaging less than 5 pounds, and the biggest being barely 8 pounds that day, but numbers of fish weren’t too bad,” Norden said.
At the end of the day, the smallest blackmouth was 3-1/2 pounds, which would also get a prize for the day and a lot of good natured ribbing.”
Norden spoke with an unnamed Fish and Wildlife biologist at the event.
“The biologist and I agreed the small size bodes well for the future when coupled with the small average from the much larger North Olympic Peninsula Derby. The biologist and I agreed that next winter’s blackmouth fishery should be outstanding and the king fishery in summer 2019 should be particularly good.”
Norden warns of course, that this all depends on being allowed to fish for kings.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
