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CLEAR Temp: 76 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Saturday, October 4, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 25, 2003 Wild coho comeback may allow harvest in two lakes By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune State fish managers believe two wild coho salmon runs near Florence are strong enough that anglers could catch and keep some of them in what would be an unprecedented fishery on a threatened salmon species. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists maintain that the wild coho populations in Siltcoos and Takhenitch lakes, which they access from the ocean via two creeks, are healthy enough to support a limited, monitored fishery without denting the spawning population. Under the federal Endangered Species Act, harvest of wild coastal coho — called a "direct take" — has been illegal since 1993. The ODFW, however, receives federal permits that legalize the "incidental" take of wild coho during fishing seasons which require that wild coho be released unharmed. The ODFW would like to see Siltcoos and Takhenitch open to wild coho angling this fall, with limits of one adult and one jack salmon per day and up to five adults in a year. Advertisement If allowed by NOAA-Fisheries, it would be the first time a sport season on a threatened salmon would be legal and join only bull trout in Lake Billy Chinook as threatened fish targeted by Oregon anglers. "It’s a direct take of a listed species, but I think it’s appropriate," said Steve King, the ODFW’s salmon program manager. "I think the argument’s very strong that limited, monitored fishery in those lakes is appropriate and that it won’t harm those populations." The idea galls some wild fish conservationists like Native Fish Society founder Bill Bakke, who believes the recent rebounds in coho runs should benefit the species, not those who stalk them. "Every time we get a boost in a population of fish at risk, they want to go kill them," said Bakke, of Portland. "Why not give them a breather? "When they get de-listed," Bakke said, "then have a directed fishery." The ODFW’s request is in the form of a Fisheries Management and Evaluation Plan, filed under a provision of the Endangered Species Act. NOAA-Fisheries, formerly known as the National Marine Fisheries Service, is taking public comment on the proposal through Monday. The agency will then draft an environmental assessment that will also go out for public comment next month, and a decision on the fishery could come in late October or early November, said Lance Kruzic, a NOAA-Fisheries biologist analyzing the proposal. "I think, biologically, the ODFW has put together a conservative fishery that’s biologically supported, but we haven’t made a decision if it’s a go or not," Kruzic said Wednesday. The Endangered Species Act allows some wild coho to be killed in recreational fisheries, and it does not differentiate whether they are kept by anglers or die after stress from catch-and-release fishing, Kruzic said. "A lot of people are saying, ‘How in the world can you approve a wild coho harvest?’ " Kruzic said. "But we’re looking at wild coho impact levels, not just how they’re taken." Siltcoos and Takhenitch are two of a handful of natural coastal lakes in Oregon with runs of wild coho. Adults migrate up creeks from the sea to the lakes, where they mill around before spawning in tributaries that feed the lakes. Before coho were listed in 1993, Siltcoos historically had returns of 1,500 to as many as 6,000 adults and harvest rates of 7 percent to 30 percent in fresh water. The Takhenitch run was historically much smaller, with returns of 450 to 2,000 fish annually and freshwater harvest rates frequently less than 5 percent. The Siltcoos run now consists of around 5,000 fish annually, while the Takhenitch run has reached about 3,500 fish each of the past two years. The ODFW proposal sets targets of spawning adults at 3,300 for Siltcoos and 2,200 for Takhenitch. The proposal would ask for setting a quota for angler harvests that would not top 18 percent in each lake, meaning a few hundred salmon could be killed by anglers annually. "Not every fish needs to be saved for spawning purposes," King said. "A few can go in to fisheries." Bakke, the Portland conservationist, said he believes the ODFW’s plan is based on "gray science" that arbitrarily sets spawning goals that might be below what the populations need to be healthy. "It would be nice to see the ODFW take a strong position for recovery of the species instead of this harvest-motivated approach," Bakke said. Bakke said he will ask NOAA-Fisheries to seek an independent scientific review of the proposal. "This is excessive," he said. "These fish are still at risk." Kruzic said the ODFW request is forging new ground in how listed salmon are managed along the West Coast. "This is the first case where it’s so explicit — to harvest wild fish directly," Kruzic said. "It’s a unique proposal." If approved, King said his agency would consider seeking permission to offer similar wild coho seasons in other coho-rich waters like the Coos, Coquille and Nehalem river systems. "The potential for limited wild coho fisheries in some of our coastal rivers is possible over the next couple years," King said. "The (Fisheries Management and Evaluation Plan) is for things like this and we’re going to make use of it." Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Voice your views WHAT: The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife proposal to allow limited fall fishing seasons on threatened wild coho salmon in Siltcoos and Takhenitch lakes near Florence. COMMENTS: NOAA-Fisheries is collecting public comments on the proposal, called a Fisheries Management Evaluation Plan, until 5 p.m. Monday. WRITE A LETTER: Mail letters to Lance Kruzic, Salmon Recovery Division, NOAA-Fisheries, 2900 NW Stewart Parkway, Roseburg, OR 97470. SEND A FAX: The facsimile number for the Roseburg division is 541-957-3386. E-MAIL: The electronic mail address is [email protected]. TO LEARN MORE: Read the plan at www.nwr.noaa.gov/1fmep/fmepsbmt.htm on the Web. 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