Commisions consider eliminating gillnets on lower Columbia

FISHERIES — A work group comprised of Oregon and Washington fish and wildlife commissioners on Thursday agreed on recommendations that would change state management of lower Columbia River fisheries by eliminating the use commercial gill nets by non-tribal fishers on the mainstem lower Columbia River.

A report in the Columbia Basin Bulletin says commercial fishing advocates testifying during a meeting of the work group in Seaside, Ore., said such a decision would be the death knell for the industry and the businesses it supports. They said it would pull salmon from the mouths of non-anglers who buy their salmon in the market or order it at restaurants.

Sport fishing interests said the move is necessary to buoy conservation efforts aimed at reviving wild, protected steelhead and salmon caught indiscriminately in fish-choking nets.