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Mid-Coast Watersheds Council to hold meeting dealing with native species of Oregon Coastal fish

Oct 032012

ODFW Multispecies Conservation Plan for Native coastal Salmonids

Thursday, October 4, Dan Avery of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) will address the MidCoast Watersheds Council to describe the Native Species Conservation Plan for Coastal Salmonids, currently under development. ODFW’s Native Species Conservation Policy directs the agency to develop conservation plans for native fish species. A plan is already in place for Oregon Coastal Coho, so the plan under development will be for Chinook and Chum salmon, Steelhead, and Cutthroat Trout. The plan will set priorities for conservation of these species, and describe propagation and sustainable harvest strategies to be implemented. Dan is an ODFW staff biologist assigned to implementation of conservation plans on the Oregon coast.

The MidCoast Watersheds Council is a Newport-based nonprofit organization dedicated to restoration and protection of watersheds in the central coast area, in the context of healthy local communities. The Council provides a forum to the community for discussion of issues related to economic and environmental health. The Council also has an extensive program of natural resource education in Lincoln County schools and in summer. Recent restoration projects have included the Lint Slough estuarine marsh restoration, riparian restoration through fencing and tree planting, restoration of stream habitat by large wood placement, and passage improvement for salmon by replacing barrier culverts. Currently the council is implementing instream habitat restoration projects in Feagles Creek near Harlan, and a series of projects to improve fish passage and riparian habitat in the upper Yaquina.

The Council meets the first Thursday of each month, at 6:30 PM, at the Central Lincoln PUD in Newport. The PUD is located at 2129 North Coast Highway in Newport, across the highway from Safeway.

The Presentation will be followed by a business meeting. Light snacks will be served.

For additional details please contact

Wayne Hoffman
265-9195
mcwc@midcoastpartners.org

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Federal judge approves “taking” of sea lions at Bonneville Dam

Salmon No Responses »

Mar 222012

A federal judge this week managed to give hope to both sides of the sea lion killing debate on the Columbia River. The judge ruled that sea lions could continue to be killed to help reduce their numbers which are grazing on salmon as they pool underneath Bonneville Dam. However, the judge also greatly reduced the amount of sea lions that could be killed in the process. The story is in the Oregonian. Click here.

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“Wild” Coho Salmon season drawing to a close

Fisheries, Salmon No Responses »

Oct 072011

Provided by ODFW

NEWPORT, Ore. ‑ The wild coho salmon season in the Siuslaw, Yaquina and Nestucca rivers will close at the end of the day Sunday, Oct. 9. ODFW fish biologists are predicting that’s when anglers will have caught the wild adult coho quotas of 900, 575 and 200 fish, respectively

The rivers will remain open to adipose fin-clipped hatchery coho under permanent regulations and for chinook salmon under temporary regulations adopted earlier this year.

The three rivers, along with several other coastal river basins, opened to the harvest of wild coho Sept. 15. ODFW opened the fishery to provide harvest opportunity on projected large return of wild coho. The fisheries are guided by a Fishery management and Evaluation Plan previously submitted to and approved by NOAA Fisheries.

“Anglers were looking forward to the wild coho season on these rivers and I think their expectations were met with some great fishing early in the season,” said Derek Wilson, ODFW fish biologist in Newport.

Wilson added that biologists are closely monitoring catch rates on all the wild coho fisheries and that the Alsea could close to wild coho by early next week. Anglers should watch for signs at boat launches or call the Newport district office at (541) 265-8306 ext. 236 or the Tillamook district office (503) 842-2741 for the latest updates.

To see the latest wild coho harvest numbers, click here.

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Putting more Coho and Chinook Salmon into the ocean forecasted by Klamath River Dam removal EIS.

Fisheries, Salmon No Responses »

Sep 212011

Coho Salmon

It appears that some of the most bitter environmental in-fighting between farmers, environmentalists, and Native American tribes in the Klamath Basin may be drawing to a close with the just released environmental impact statement that calls for the possible removal of a number of dams along the Klamath River. The long term effects for the fishery along the Klamath River, and the Klamath River system’s contribution to the ocean salmon fishery would be quite positive if you support bringing back the Coho and Chinook salmon fishery.

The details on the story are in the Oregonian. Click here.

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Doing a little “home remodeling” for the Coho…

Environment, Salmon No Responses »

Aug 292011

Bringing back Coho Salmon populations is a big goal of the MidCoast Watersheds Council and they’ll be talking about how well they and others are doing to reach that goal at a meeting coming up Thursday, September 1st at the Central Lincoln PUD building in Newport.

The Coastal Coho is officially a NOAA-declared “threatened species” and because of that NOAA wants tighter regulations placed on harvest levels at sea. But Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, in concert with the MidCoast Watersheds Council, have convinced them, so far, to allow an approach that uses volunteers to restore lost or damaged habitat for the coveted fish. The two agencies have been running a Coho Salmon habitat recovery program that is opening up new habitat spawning areas for the Coho so that their populations can grow back.

ODF&W’s Dan Avery will be giving a progress report on these efforts at the watersheds council meeting. Avery will also discuss recovery plans for other salmon and non-salmon species. Avery will review what’s been done so far to boost Coho populations and what habitat restoration work is yet to be done.

MidCoast Watersheds Council chief Wayne Hoffman says they’ve been restoring salmon and other fish habitat through fencing, tree planting, large wood placement and removing blockages that have prevented the fish from moving high enough in river and stream watersheds to spawn.

The watersheds council meeting will begin at 6:30pm, Thursday, September 1st, at the Central Lincoln PUD public room, located 2129 North Coast Highway (101) in Newport. Light snacks will be served. For more info, call Wayne Hoffman at 541-265-9195, or by email at McWc@MidCoastPartners.org.

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White Salmon River dam coming down; to add 33 miles of prime salmon habitat.

Energy, Fisheries, Salmon No Responses »

Jun 142011

The Condit Dam on the White Salmon River near White Salmon Washington will be coming down next year. Utility PacifiCorp decided it would be cheaper to just take out the dam than install expensive salmon passage devices in the current structure. With the removal of the dam, which has blocked the waters of the White Salmon River since 1913, it will create 33 more river miles of prime salmon habitat.

The full story is in the Oregonian. Click here.

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Feds give nod to begin “removing” marauding sea lions at Bonneville Dam

Fisheries, Salmon No Responses »

May 142011

Though the debate goes on about whether California Sea Lions are more imperiled than certain strains of Salmon, a federal agency and the federal court have, for now, taken sides. And it’s not good news for the sea lions that have been hanging out just below Bonneville Dam.

The story’s in the Statesman Journal: Click here.

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Group says: “Time to take more drastic action against sea lions feeding off Bonneville Dam salmon”

Fisheries, Salmon No Responses »

Dec 282010

A group that advises the federal government on how to stop sea lion raids on migrating salmon at Bonneville Dam is now recommending that regulators take more drastic action against marauding sea lions that are consuming a significant number of spawning salmon. Click here for story.

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Salmon advocates reject federal plan to strengthen salmon runs. File appeal in federal court.

Fisheries, Salmon No Responses »

Oct 302010

The very long running debate between those who claim they have the high ground in the academic battle over how best to bolster salmon runs on the Columbia River have once again squared off in court. On one side they want to barge juvenile fish around the dams. The other side says that’s not nearly enough and that science proves their point. They claim adequate dam spill is the answer to bolster runs of threatened and endangered salmon species. The story is in the Salem Statesman Journal:

Click here
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20101029/UPDATE/101029035

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FDA: No special label required for genetically altered salmon.

Fisheries, Salmon No Responses »

Sep 192010

Claiming that genetically altered salmon are basically the same critter as regular salmon, the federal Food and Drug Administration has ruled that genetically altered salmon will carry no special labeling.

The story is in today’s edition of the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/18/AR2010091803520.html

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