ODFW - Input on Fishing Rule Changes

State takes input on South Coast fishing rule changes

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is proposing changes to the state’s sport fishing regulations for 2009.

At least three proposed changes would impact people who crab in the ocean, fish for salmon and fish for surf perch on the South Coast.

Department staff want to know what local residents think about this and other changes. They have scheduled a meeting at 7 p.m., Monday, May 19, at North Bend Public Library, 1800 Sherman Ave.

The comments received at the meeting will be presented to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission when it considers changes to the angling regulations at its August meeting in Salem. The commission will make its final decision on the 2009 sport fishing rules in September.

ODFW goes through this process every four years. ODFW staff and Oregon State Police game officers have been drafting proposed changes and are reviewing public proposals that already have been submitted.

More than 330 proposed regulation changes were considered, including 265 submitted by the public. Some of the other changes to be considered include:

* a requirement that anglers turn in Harvest Tags to ODFW before they can obtain a new tag;

* statewide warmwater fish regulations that introduce bag limits on crappie (50 fish) and channel catfish (20);

* re-establish a consumptive trout season on north coast streams;

* increase the daily bag limit for fin-clipped Chinook on the Elk River, with the goal being to reduce interactions between those fish and wild Chinook;

* reduction in the daily surf perch limit from 15 fish per day in aggregate to 10 fish per day; and

* opening the ocean to year-round sport crabbing.

All proposals were reviewed by the Angling Regulations Review Board, comprised of 10 public representatives from ODFW working groups, task forces and the general angling public and one Fish and Wildlife Commission member.