Salmon Quotas Grim

Fishing

Everybody knows that this is going to be another tough year for salmon fishermen in Washington. But do you have any idea how tough?

Here are some numbers from the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The recreational chinook catch in the ocean between the Canadian border and Cape Falcon, Ore. (a few miles south of the Columbia River) is projected to be 5,200 this year. The projected recreational coho catch is expected to be 32,300.

These figures compare with annual average recreational catches between 1976 and 1980 of 131,800 chinook and 575,400 coho.

The non-Indian commercial fishery won’t fare any better than the sport. It’s expected to take 11,500 chinook this year, compared to an annual average in the late ‘70s of 201,600, and to take zero coho this year, compared to 782,800.

Treaty Indians will do slightly better, taking a projected 15,000 chinook in the ocean this year, compared to 1,300 annually between 1976 and 1980, and 12,500 coho this year, compared to 9,000.