Marine Areas 1 - 4 Open For Retention Of Wild Coho

Anglers can keep hatchery and wild coho
in ocean marine areas

OLYMPIA - Anglers will be allowed to retain both wild and hatchery coho beginning Friday, Sept. 4, in all four ocean marine areas.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) previously limited anglers fishing in marine areas 1-4 to hatchery coho - marked with a missing adipose fin - to meet conservation goals for wild coho while extending fishing through the entire salmon season, said Doug Milward, ocean salmon manager for the department.

However, with a month remaining in the fishery, only 43 percent of the coho quota has been reached for the coast.

"With so much of the coho catch quota remaining this late in the season, we can allow anglers to keep both hatchery and wild coho without exceeding our conservation objectives for wild salmon," Milward said.

Through Aug. 30, anglers have caught 64,576 coho of the 150,800 coho quota for the coast.

Ocean salmon fisheries are currently scheduled to continue through Sept. 30 in all four marine areas.

Anglers have a two-salmon daily catch limit in all four marine areas off the Washington coast. Up to two chinook may be retained in Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco) and Marine Area 2 (Westport); anglers fishing off La Push (Marine Area 3) and west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line off Neah Bay (Marine Area 4) can keep one chinook as well as two additional pink salmon as part of their daily catch limit.

For additional details on fishing regulations, check the fishing regulations pamphlet at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/

Fishery managers will continue to monitor the ocean salmon fishery throughout the season, and announce any other changes on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/