This boat operated off Eagle Point and Open Bay near San Juan on Monday, August 18th. The commercial fishermen in the image were operating within their legal rights. However, if you look closely at the fish in the photo, you’ll notice hundreds of bycatch kings alongside the pink salmon. Meanwhile, recreational fishermen have been forced to leave 20% of their catch behind due to “sub-legal encounters.” This isn’t a criticism of the commercial fishermen, but rather an issue with how the WDFW has responded to political pressure from the whale lobby and tribal interests. These groups have pushed for tighter restrictions, reducing the once 8-month chinook fishing season to just 5 days. And yet, this is only one boat, on one day, in a place we used to fish regularly for chinook.

Copy this pic and email these folks at WDFW, asking them to explain:

Lyle.Jennings@dfw.wa.gov

Jake.rice@dfw.wa.gov

Brett Rosson

Pres. Fish Northwest