Atlantic’s Rejected

Sun., Dec. 22, 1996

John Miller

Fishing

Washington fisheries managers withdrew a proposal to designate the Atlantic salmon a game fish after what they termed “vehement” opposition to the move arose at the Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting on Dec. 6.

The manager’s proposal to re-classify the fish would have eliminated enforcement confusion, said David Seiler, fisheries biologist. He said that now, people fishing illegally for native salmon can say they were fishing for the Atlantic salmon, which can be fished for without a permit and without a catch limit.

“We want them eradicated,” Seiler said. “We just didn’t want people fishing in closed waters under the guise of fishing for Atlantic salmon.”

But environmental groups like the Northwest Ecosystem Alliance felt that by designating the Atlantic Salmon as a game fish, the department would have been promoting the foreign species, which they call a threat to wild Pacific salmon stocks.

“Foreign species like farm-raised Atlantic salmon threaten the very survival of wild Pacific stocks,” said Brian Vincent, the alliance’s conservation director. “Granting game status to fish that don’t belong here will set off a biological timebomb that’s already ticking.”

The issue came to a head after 70,000 adult Atlantic salmon were accidentally released from a submerged Puget Sound fish farm on July 2 and began swimming up area rivers. One Atlantic salmon caught had a bellyful of king salmon eggs, an indication that the east coast intruders may be “overwhelming native salmon,” Vincent said.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.