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Don’t ignore forage fish
As our summer steelhead season and fall chinook season begins, it is hard not to think about the ocean those fish are coming from and swimming back to. Having healthy runs also means having a healthy ocean.
The Pacific Fisheries Management Council is meeting in Spokane, Sept. 10-17. The council sets the annual ocean management rules and catch limits on the Lower 48 Pacific Coast. This means managing both the fish we catch and the fish our fish eat. The council has a great opportunity to create an ecosystem-based management plan for the forage fish our salmon and steelhead eat. Forage fish include herring, dace, smelt and squid.
Many of these forage fish have no management until long after a commercial fishery is established. As a member and volunteer of the Wild Steelhead Coalition, I ask the PFMC to please move forward with management of all forage fish upfront. It is good for the long term for everyone in the fish business.
Josh Mills
Spokane