TAKE ACTION | Protect the Public's $14.4 Million Investment in Wild Salmon Conservation

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ASK THE WASHINGTON FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION:

Protect the Public's $14.4 Million Investment in Wild Salmon Conservation by Implementing the Non-Tribal Gillnet Buyback

Endangered sockeye salmon swimming up the Columbia River with wounds from gill nets. Photo: Conrad Gowell

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

In May 2022, the Washington State Legislature passed a voluntary non-tribal gillnet buyback as part of the 2022 budget, requiring the reduced fishery impacts associated with purchased gillnet licenses to be reserved “for conservation through increased wild salmonid escapement or mark-selective fisheries capable of harvesting surplus hatchery-reared salmon.” Read the full proviso here.

In short, commercial gillnet licenses were meant to be purchased and retired to reduce harm to threatened and endangered wild salmon.

Instead, the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife has blatantly ignored the Legislature’s conservation intent by failing to reduce gillnet fishing effort to any extent nearly a year since the Governor approved the buyback to “ensure the recovery of salmon."

While the public’s $14.4 million investment in salmon recovery has been fully disbursed to the fishing industry, WDFW has maintained the same amount of harm to wild salmon in the gillnet fishery.

In further conflict with the 2022 budget bill, the Department has failed to transition the commercial sector toward mark-selective fishing with sustainable alternative fishing methods proven to protect wild salmon while reducing straying of hatchery produced fish to the spawning grounds.

In the meantime, the proportion of hatchery-origin spawners in numerous tributaries of the lower Columbia River continues to dramatically exceed federal limits designed to prevent jeopardy to threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead.

Now, the Fish and Wildlife Commission is responsible for deciding whether they will take action to provide one of the most significant gains for wild salmon conservation in decades, or whether they will allow the public’s $14.4 million investment in salmon recovery to further harm and perpetuate their decline.

We need your help!

Take action to call on the Fish and Wildlife Commission to direct the Department to implement the bill as intended by the Governor and Legislature, and protect the public's significant investment in wild salmon recovery.

Speak up today by sending an email to the Fish and Wildlife Commissioners and Other Key Decision Makers:

STEP 1: Fill out the form with your contact information.

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Send Commissioners, Legislators, and the Governor's office an Email

STEP 2: Write & send an email to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission

Below is an email we've drafted to make it as easy as possible to contact decision makers about this issue.

We strongly encourage you to add at least 1-2 sentences to this email message sharing your unique perspective. This might include how you would benefit from salmon being restored or how the continued state of endangered salmon has directly affected you.

These types of personal messages are the most powerful and will help demonstrate to decision makers the diverse ways which non-selective fishing has ecologically, economically, and culturally harmed our region.

Please note, you do NOT need to add a salutation or an email signature. The intro 'Dear Commissioner...' and your signature (name and address) will be automatically populated and added to the email sent after you press 'Send Email'.

Legislators and Commissioners

Subject: Protect the Public's $14.4 Million Investment in Wild Salmon Conservation

Message:

I urge you to follow through with the conservation intent of the Legislature and the Governor to promote wild salmon recovery with the public’s considerable $14.4 million investment in wild salmon recovery through the lower Columbia River non-tribal gillnet buyback program passed in the 2022 budget.

This policy requires the reduced fishery impacts associated with purchased gillnet licenses be reserved “for conservation through increased wild salmonid escapement or mark-selective fisheries capable of harvesting surplus hatchery-reared salmon where needed to meet federal genetic protection requirements for wild salmon populations.” This buyback builds on Commission policy dating back to 2013, encouraging a gillnet license buyback program and the implementation alternative mark-selective fishing gear in accordance with guiding principle #1: “Promote the recovery of Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed species and the conservation of wild stocks of salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River and ensure that fisheries and hatcheries are operated in a manner consistent with the provisions of the ESA.”

It is alarming that nearly a year since the Governor approved the buyback to “ensure the recovery of salmon,” the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) has ignored the bill’s key conservation measures by failing to reduce mixed-stock gillnet fishing effort to any extent. The public’s $14.4 million investment in salmon recovery has been fully disbursed to the fishing industry, however WDFW has maintained the same amount of harm to wild salmon in the gillnet fishery.

WDFW Commissioners are appointed by the Governor to uphold the agency's mission to “preserve, protect and perpetuate fish, wildlife, and ecosystems while providing sustainable fishing opportunities.” It is now the responsibility of the Commission to ensure that this significant investment in salmon recovery is implemented as intended. The Commission will either be responsible for providing one of the most significant gains for wild salmon conservation in decades, or allowing the public’s $14.4 million investment in salmon recovery to instead further harm and perpetuate their decline.

WDFW’s Director Kelly Susewind has called for the Commission’s direction on this specific matter. I'm calling on the Commission to:

1. Fully implement the buyback bill approved by the Legislature and the Governor.

2. Permanently reserve gillnet fishery impacts saved from the purchase of gillnet licenses as intended for conservation through increased wild salmonid escapement or mark-selective commercial fisheries.

3. Communicate with the Oregon Fish & Wildlife Commission to achieve concurrent policy that more meaningfully allows for mark-selective fishing with alternative commercial fishing gears in non-tribal lower Columbia River fisheries.

4. Ensure that the public’s $14.4 million investment in salmon conservation functions to preserve, protect, and perpetuate wild salmon.

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Speak up today by sending an email to the Fish and Wildlife Commissioners and Other Key Decision Makers:

Thank you for taking this important action!