States compromise on river.

Byline: Mike Stahlberg The Register-Guard

Valentines may be in the air, but the Oregon and Washington departments of fish and wildlife are probably not exchanging them. The two agencies have been engaged in a lover's quarrel over renewal of their Columbia River fisheries management vows.

The two states share responsibility for overseeing the sport fishery in the river that forms much of their shared border. A three-year management plan expired Dec. 31.

The parties negotiated from October through January without coming to terms on a new agreement.

At issue: how to implement a 20 percent reduction in the the harvest of white sturgeon.

The expired plan was based on a harvest quota of 50,000 sturgeon per year, with sport anglers getting 80 percent of the quota and commercial fishermen 20 percent.

Biologists on both sides of the Columbia agree that's too high because the sturgeon population has been shrinking about 4 percent a year since 1996.

To rebuild the population, both states agreed the harvest should be cut to 40,000, with the same 80-20 split between sport and commercial fisheries.

But they couldn't agree on the timing and location of the harvest closures needed to meet those goals.

In the end, Oregon officials boycotted the late January meeting at which a management plan for 2003-2005 was to be adopted.

The spat left anglers and fishing guides in a lurch. Nobody knew when they would be allowed to fish. The guides were particularly upset, as many of them count on making bookings during the Northwest Sportsmen's Show in Portland.

On the eve of the show's opening last Wednesday, however, the directors of the Washington and Oregon departments of fish and wildlife announced a "compromise" that will be in effect for 2003 only.

Their compromise divides the river below Bonneville Dam into two management zones.

Sixty percent of the recreational harvest (18,000 fish) is allocated to the estuary area, defined as the 40 miles downstream from the Wauna power lines, which cross over Pudget Island on a line between Cathlamet, Wash., and Wauna, Ore. The other 40 percent (12,000 fish) is allocated to the 105 miles of river from the power lines to Bonneville Dam.

The agreement anticipates that each zone will be closed to the retention of sturgeon for about three months.

Upstream of the Wauna power lines, the Columbia closure is expected to be in effect from March 24 to June 30. Downstream of Wauna, the estuary is expected to be closed July 10 to Sept. 30. Specific closure dates may be adjusted to meet the quotas.

In any event, catch-and-release sturgeon angling will be allowed during the harvest closures. For the remainder of the year, the harvest of sturgeon will be permitted seven days a week.

Annual bag limits will remain at 10 fish per angler, although each state agreed to consider a reduction to a five-fish annual limit through its the permanent rule-making process.

"This is a good compromise for this year and ensures that conservation needs are met," said Ed Bowles, fish division administrator for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Bowles said Oregon will reassess the fishery and then try to get another three-year agreement with Washington.

CAPTION(S):

Eugene fishing guide Patrick Roelle removes the hook from a 46-inch sturgeon during a 2001 outing on the Columbia River. The opportunities to harvest the fish have been reduced under a new agreement between Washington and Oregon.