Washington Fish Committee Is An Unlevel Playing Field – Stand Up to Protect OP Steelhead

Hoh River on the Olympic Peninsula. Photo by Guido Rahr

TCA is allied with the Wild Steelhead Coalition, Trout Unlimited and Wild Salmon Center to conserve wild steelhead on the Olympic Peninsula.

Image Courtesy of Wild Steelhead Coalition and Lee Geist

Read Coalition Co-founder Rich Simms’ blog on where things stand.

Here is TCA’s take on Olympic Peninsula Wild Winter Steelhead

Several members of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission have been abusing public process rules and guidelines this spring by providing closed door private access to a limited number of commercial interests while brushing off all other members of the community of anglers and citizens interested in wild steelhead conservation on the Olympic Peninsula (well-known as The OP).

Wild Winter steelhead on the OP and in western WA have declined precipitously in recent years, forcing WDFW staff into emergency mode this past fall. In an incredibly open and easily accessed process last November and December, WDFW informed all communities of interest of the conservation crisis for wild winter steelhead and took recommendations for how to manage the winter fishery in the face of extremely low returns to nearly every OP river.

Options ranged from closing everything to a series of much needed angling reforms.

TCA and our wild fish allies offered a well-reasoned package to provide angling opportunity while providing real conservation benefits for beleaguered wild winter steelhead.  WDFW staff adopted several of those ideas in the rule package – including prohibiting angling from a boat, the use of bait, release of resident rainbow trout and shorter seasons among other critical measures. Steelhead seasons in several rivers closed early due to even lower than expected adult returns.

WDFW has since faced opposition from many OP guides but staff have the high ground and have maintained it all winter and spring. However, several members of the Commission have fanned the flames and hopes of those guides (who actually want to reduce the existing wild steelhead escapement goals) to overturn last winter’s regulation package.

A Call to Action

Washington Commissioners, using (and abusing) the Fish Subcommittee process and rules, will finally hear from the general public this Saturday June 26 from 8 AM until 10 AM.

If you are free, please make some coffee and join the Commission on Saturday.  If you are already committed elsewhere, you can send in written testimony via email here: commission@dfw.wa.gov

Check out TCA’s 10 Point List of Talking Points below –

Please use these points as is or edit and make it your own!

The meeting is a virtual video conference you can watch, and even register to testify.

Here is the link to the meeting agenda for Saturday morning but if you register to testify, there will be a different entry portal to the Zoom meeting. There is also a phone number you can call to listen in and testify if you have limited bandwidth.

Learn more about the scientific status of the OP wild winter steelhead from John McMillan’s article just published in the Osprey Journal.

TCA has blogged in depth on this issue, first in December 2020, and then again in March 2021.

TCA’s Top Ten Talking Point List is here to help organize your testimony to the Commission.

1.       Wild Steelhead in Western WA and on the OP have declined significantly in the past decade.

2.       The current escapement goals for wild winter steelhead are not being met and they are too low already.

3.       WDFW’s process to address conservation needs in November 2020 was open and accessible.

4.       At the time, the low projected returns actually indicated a full closure was justified.

5.       I supported the conservation angling measures WDFW adopted to allow some opportunity including: 1) no angling from a boat, 2) no bait, 3) requiring release of rainbow trout and 3) shortened spring seasons.

6.       If wild steelhead returns are predicted to come in below acceptable escapement numbers for 2021-22, then I support these same rules or even a full closure to protect wild winter steelhead spawning success on the OP.

7.       Additional measures should include regulations to protect the early portion of the winter run which has been disproportionally harmed by heavy angling pressure aimed at hatchery fish.

8.       I am unhappy that some members of the Commission have provided unequal and unreported access to certain commercial interests concerning their specific interests while ignoring the broader and larger public interest in protecting and restoring wild steelhead on the OP.

9.       I urge WDFW to develop a longer term, scientifically-based and more holistic process to provide the conservation management these iconic wild steelhead deserve.

10.   I believe that OP wild steelhead should be listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA); and that the 2020-21 Season rules were not only necessary but should be permanent rules going forward if any angling is authorized in the future.