Rockfish the new Spotted Owl?: Steelheader.net- Steelhead, Salmon and trout fishing

If the just released WDFW Rockfish Conservation Plan is adopted as proposed, rockfish have a very real possibility of being the new Spotted Owl. The “Plan” calls for a series of yet to be defined permanent Marine Protection Areas for Puget Sound which would likely be no fishing zones for all species. For the purpose of the Plan, Puget Sound is defined as all of Marine Areas 5-13 (Sekiu to Olympia) including the Straits, the San Juan Islands and Hood Canal. Some of the areas mentioned as prime rockfish habitat and therefore likely to be considered as MPA’s are Camano Head, Possession Bar, Mukilteo, Jefferson Head, Point Edwards, Point Monroe, Skiff Point, Restoration Point, Blake Island, Southworth, Dalco Point, Tacoma Narrows, Fox Island, Ketron Island and the steep walls of Hood Canal. The Plan also calls for a 120’ maximum fishing depth throughout the Sound.

The Plan http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/management/rockfish/ is difficult to read and hard to comprehend but I would still advise you to read it. At the very least, email your concerns and/or attend one of the public meetings.

October. 29 – From 7-9 p.m. in Mill Creek at WDFW’s Mill Creek office, 16018 Mill Creek Blvd.
• Nov. 2 – From noon-2 p.m. in Friday Harbor in the Commons Room at the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor laboratory, 620 University Road.
• Nov. 4 – From 7-9 p.m. in Olympia in room 172 of the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. S.E.
• Nov. 6 – From 4-6 p.m. in Port Townsend in the Raven Room at Skookum Inc., 385 Benedict St.

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