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Wild coho season opens Thursday at Siltcoos and Tahkenitch lakes
Populations have recovered to allow season
SALEM - Siltcoos and Tahkenitch lakes north of Reedsport will open for
sport harvest of wild coho salmon Thursday, Dec. 11, through Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and NOAA Fisheries announced today. The agencies determined the local coho salmon populations in these two lakes have recovered to healthy and stable levels.
The limited fishery will be the first to target Oregon's wild coastal
coho salmon populations since 1993 and the first since they were listed
under the federal Endangered Species Act in 1998. The season provides
anglers and local communities the opportunity to benefit from coho
salmon recovery efforts implemented under the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds for the past seven years. In addition, the fishery will not slow the pace of salmon recovery elsewhere in Oregon.
"This small fishery is a success of the conservation efforts of
Oregonians," said Lindsay Ball, director of the Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife. "A long term goal of the Oregon Plan is to provide
sustainable populations for fishing opportunities. As recovery of our
fishery resources progresses, other coastal coho populations will
support similar limited fisheries."
Good production of ocean food sources coupled with consistently healthy coho populations in the two lakes resulted in more abundant returns than necessary to sustain the populations, according to ODFW biologists. The limited fishery will not undermine the productivity and recovery of coho in these lakes.
The recent densities of spawning coho salmon in the Siltcoos and
Tahkenitch systems is among the highest currently documented in Oregon and has exceeded the number needed to support long-term viable populations for nine of the last 10 years. Siltcoos had 4,750 spawning coho in 2002 and Tahkenitch had 3,490 spawning coho in 2002. About 3,300 and 2,200 spawning salmon are needed for Siltcoos and Tahkenitch lakes respectively to maintain healthy future generations of coho salmon.
Starting Thursday, anglers may harvest one unmarked adult coho salmon plus one unmarked jack coho per day from either Siltcoos or Tahkenitch lakes. Anglers are limited to retaining five adult coho from both Siltcoos and Tahkenitch lakes during the three-week season. Streams flowing into the lakes, the outlet channel from the lakes to the ocean, and the upper part of the inlets of major coho spawning streams are closed to coho fishing.
Based on historical harvest in these lakes, biologists expect the
fishery to result in a combined harvest of up to 1,000 fish. This year's
quota has been set at 300 fish for Siltcoos Lake and 200 fish for
Tahkenitch Lake. Biologists expect harvest rates in this year's fishery
to be lower than these quotas due to the season's late start. In future
years, ODFW said seasons likely will be longer given adequate spawners and good ocean conditions.
Biologists will monitor and evaluate the coho season along with coho
salmon spawning numbers to ensure that coho salmon recovery efforts are not compromised. In future years, the coho run will be reevaluated to determine if the run is strong enough to allow a harvest. The decision
to open the temporary fishery was based on a scientific review of the
coho salmon populations by both ODFW and NOAA Fisheries and input from members of the public.
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Contact: Anne Pressentin Young (503) 947-6020
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us Fax: (503) 947-6009
For Immediate Release Tuesday, December 9, 2003 |
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