The October ODFW Commissioners meeting was all about winter wild Steelhead in the Southern Zone. Well, at least from 1:00 PM to 5:30 PM. After ODFW’s presentation, which lasted approximately 30 minutes, there were eighty people signed up for testimony. I was in the first five to be called. After that there was a barrage of catch and release advocates. Arguments for catch and release ranged from; climate change not factored into to data, poor wild steelhead returns along entire west coast, insufficient data regarding adult fish returns, and others, but these received the most attention.

The aftermath of all the catch and release testimony resulted in the commissioners request for catch and release to be added to ODFW’s draft RSP. Additionally, commissioners asked for another meeting, which will take place soon and be aired for the public to watch on You Tube, no comment opportunity. Another possibility is that the December commissioners meeting will have no Public Forum.

So the pump is primed for the Southern Zone to become No Harvest of winter wild Steelhead. Here again, in spite of ODFW’s recommendation, based on all the available science, for limited harvest (1/3), the anti-harvest zealots have the commissioners attention.

What’s left to do? Write to the commissioners. [email protected] . Much of the pressure the commissioners feel is from catch and release advocates. If the commissioners received as much support for limited harvest, they could be swayed.