Without change, we are quickly charting a course to extinction for Washington’s wild coastal Steelhead. Please be a voice for these fish by taking one minute right now and tell Washington's fishery managers it’s time to do what is necessary to prevent this imminent collapse of our iconic wild Steelhead.
Washington State Fish and Wildlife will hold their FINAL town hall meeting this Monday, Nov. 29, from 5 – 6 pm to consider potential management changes to help wild Steelhead, and friend, you need to respond BEFORE THAT MEETING. Please click here to add your voice!
While almost half of all public comments at the last town hall meeting called for complete closure of the coastal Steelhead season, there has been a strong push of public comments calling for the status quo fisheries....essentially fishing this resource to extinction.
Whether you are an angler, wild fish enthusiast, or keeper of the wild, we need our groundswell to become the loudest voice in support of taking actions that will actually recover these wild fish, not just actions that seek to appease some anglers. Please emphasize the following:
Please VOICE your concern for these fish, and please call for the complete closure of the coastal Steelhead season beginning December 1st, 2021.
Please ENCOURAGE WDFW Fish Program Director Kelly Cunningham and wild Steelhead, and WDFW Fish Regional Program Manager James Losee to make this decision based on conservation science.
Please THANK WDFW for considering a valid and cautionary approach to our Coastal Steelhead issues and continuing to be transparent in including the public in this decision-making processes.
Monday, November 29th, at 5pm, the final Town Hall meeting will be held.
WDFW fishery managers will share the agreed-to fishing plans for the coastal steelhead season and take public feedback during a Nov. 29 virtual town hall.
Join us
5 to 6 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 29
Tune in via Zoom webinar
Join by phone: +1 253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 837 8212 2617
More information is available here https://wdfw.wa.gov/get-involved/calendar/event/co
Recent History:
Emergency closures and fishing restrictions put in place in an effort to save dwindling runs of wild Steelhead last winter were too little, too late. While reduced encounters with wild Steelhead were reported as a result of those emergency measures, one season of reduced encounters does not mean our wild Steelhead are any better off. WDFW is exploring more options for this winter Steelhead season and beyond, and we need to advocate for the conservation actions that will have a direct impact and ensure enough fish return to our rivers and spawn.
To be clear, in an effort to save the remaining wild Steelhead in our coastal rivers, we need to continue to minimize our impacts on these fish now while we continue to work to solve the issues that are preventing runs from rebounding. For those of us who are anglers, we need to accept that fishing for wild steelhead this and upcoming seasons may look completely different than what we are used to. And as anglers, we need to become the loudest voice in support of taking actions that will actually recover these wild fish, not just actions that seek to appease us as anglers.
Need to catch up on what WDFW is considering? Follow this link WDFW Coastal Steelhead Questions and Answers
