WSC Opposes Reinstating Destructive Gillnet Fisheries on the Columbia

Considering the current state of the Columbia’s wild steelhead and salmons runs, as well as the fact that their survival is only going to become increasingly difficult due to climate change, we need to be doing everything we can to eliminate threats to salmonid recovery and responsibly manage our fisheries. That is why this week, the WSC sent a letter to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission urging them to reject a misguided proposal to reinstate destructive gillnet fisheries on the mainstem lower Columbia River, which would have a serious impact on the Columbia's struggling wild steelhead and salmon stocks.

This letter was sent ahead of the Commission's upcoming review of the Columbia River Salmon Fishery Management Policy (C-3620) on September 10th. Recently, the Commission’s Columbia River Workgroup developed a recommendation to restore year-round gilnetting on the mainstem Columbia, thereby greenlighting a non-selective fishery that generates high levels of lethal bycatch and will further endanger the Columbia's ESA-listed salmon and steelhead.

Particularly troubling is that alternatives to antiquated gillnet fisheries that are less impactful on ESA-listed fish do exist, such as pound nets that have been demonstrated to cause almost no incidental mortality. As a result, we believe that rather than doubling down on non-selective commercial fisheries that will further imperil ESA-listed species, the state should be investing in the widespread implementation of these more sustainable fishing practices. Not only would the adoption of selective harvest practices protect ESA-listed fish, it would also help ensure a more enduring and prosperous fishery for both the commercial sector and recreational anglers.

With the Columbia’s wild steelhead and salmon populations struggling and facing increasingly imminent threats, the last thing these declining salmonid stocks need is the expansion of destructive gillnet fisheries on the mainstem lower Columbia River. So please take a moment and send an email to the Commission at commission@dfw.wa.gov before they consider this misguided proposal on September 10th.

Here is the letter the Wild Steelhead Coalition sent to the Commission ahead of their important meeting.