Or. Admin. Code § 635-042-0032

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 12, December 1, 2024

Section 635-042-0032 - [Effective until 12/31/2024] Coho Season

The commercial coho season in the Columbia River downstream of Bonneville Dam is assessed annually based on stock status and allocation policies. Harvest opportunity and gear regulations will be established by in-season modification.

(1) Salmon (except chum) and shad may be taken by tangle net for commercial purposes in Zones 1 through 3. The upper deadline is defined as a straight line projected from Warrior Rock Lighthouse on the Oregon shore easterly through the green navigation Buoy #1 and continuing to the Washington Shore.

(a) All coho must be adipose fin-clipped.

(b) Chum may not be possessed or sold.

(2) Sanctuaries in effect for this fishery are Elokomin-A, Cowlitz River, Kalama-A and Lewis-A as described in OAR 635-042-0005.

(3) Open fishing periods are:

(a) 4:00 a.m. through 10:00 p.m. Monday September 16, Wednesday September 18, and Thursday September 19;

(b) 4:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. on Fridays from September 20 through October 25; and

(c) 4:00 a.m. through 10:00 p.m. daily Monday through Thursday from September 23 through October 31.

(4) Gear is restricted to unslackened, single wall, multi-filament floater drift nets only with a maximum mesh size of 3¾ inches. Monofilament nets are not allowed. Mesh size is determined by placing three consecutive meshes under hand tension and the measurement is taken from the inside of one knot to the inside of the opposite knot of the center mesh. Hand tension means sufficient linear tension to draw opposing knots of meshes into contact.

(5) Nets shall not exceed 900 feet (150 fathoms) in length. A red cork must be placed on the corkline every 25 fathoms as measured from the first mesh of the net. Red corks at 25-fathom intervals must be in color contrast to the corks used in the remainder of the net.

(6) There are no restrictions on the hang ratio. The hang ratio is used to horizontally add slack to the net. The hang ratio is determined by the length of the web per length of the corkline.

(7) The use of slackers or stringers to slacken the net vertically is prohibited. Rip lines are allowed providing they do not vertically slacken the net.

(8) Nets shall be fished for no longer than 30 minutes per set. The time of fishing (soak time) is measured from when the first mesh of the net is deployed into the water until the last mesh of the net is fully retrieved from the water.

(9) The multiple net rule is in effect which means nets not specifically authorized for the fishery may be onboard the vessel if properly stored. A properly stored net is defined as a net on a drum that is fully covered by a tarp (canvas or plastic) and bound with a minimum of ten revolutions of rope with a diameter of three eighths (0.375) inches or greater.

(10) All non-legal fish must be released unharmed immediately to the river or into an operating recovery box.

(a) One operating recovery box with two chambers or two operating recovery boxes with one chamber each must be on board each fishing vessel participating in the fishery. Recovery boxes shall be operating during any time that a net is being retrieved or picked.

(b) All non-legal salmon and all steelhead that are bleeding, in lethargic condition, or appearing lifeless must be placed in the recovery box prior to release to the river.

(c) Each chamber of the recovery box must meet the following dimensions as measured from within the box; the inside length measurement must be at or within 39.5 to 48 inches, the inside width measurement must be at or within 8 to 10 inches, and the inside height measurement must be at or within 14 to 16 inches.

(d) Each chamber of the recovery box must include an operating water pumping system capable of delivering a minimum flow of 16 gallons per minute not to exceed 20 gallons per minute of fresh river water into each chamber. The fisher must demonstrate to the Department and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife employees, fish and wildlife enforcement officers, or other peace officers, upon request, that the pumping system is delivering the proper volume of fresh river water into each chamber.

(e) Each chamber of the recovery box must include a water inlet hole between three quarters inch and one inch in diameter, centered horizontally across the door or wall of chamber and 1.75 inches from the floor of the chamber.

(f) Each chamber of the recovery box must include a water outlet that is at least 1.5 inches in diameter. The center of the outlet hole must be located a minimum of 12 inches above the floor of the box or chamber, on either the same or opposite end as the inlet.

(g) All fish placed in recovery boxes must be released to the river prior to landing or docking.

(11) Only licensed Columbia River commercial fishers that completed a workshop hosted by the Department or Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (Departments) to educate fishers on live capture commercial fishing techniques may participate in this fishery. At least one fisher on each boat engaged in the fishery must have completed training provided by the Departments to educate fishers on regulations and best methods for conducting live capture fisheries.

Or. Admin. Code § 635-042-0032

FWC 96-1991, f. & cert. ef. 9-9-91; FWC 101-1991 (Temp), f. & cert. ef. 9-10-91; FWC 102-1991, f. & cert. ef. 9-17-91; Suspended by FWC 92-1992(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 9-16-92; Reverted to FWC 102-1991, f. & cert. ef. 9-17-91; FWC 46-1996, f. & cert. ef. 8-23-96; DFW 71-1999(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 9-20-99 thru 10-22-99; DFW 75-1999(Temp), f. 9-29-99, cert. ef. 9-30-99 thru 10-22-99; DFW 79-1999(Temp), f. 10-8-99, cert. ef. 10-11-99 thru 12-31-99; DFW 83-1999(Temp), f. 10-26-99, cert. ef. 10-27-99 thru 12-31-99; Reverted to FWC 46-1996, f. & cert. ef. 8-23-96; DFW 62-2000(Temp), f. 9-15-00, cert. ef. 9-19-00 thru 12-31-00; DFW 65-2000(Temp) f. 9-22-00, cert. ef. 9-25-00 thru 12-31-00; DFW 66-2000(Temp) f. 9-29-00, cert. ef. 10-2-00 thru 12-31-00; DFW 68-2000(Temp) f. 10-6-00, cert. ef. 10-9-00 thru 12-31-00; DFW 71-2000(Temp) f. 10-20-00, cert. ef. 10-23-00 thru 12-31-00; DFW 74-2000(Temp), f. 10-27-00, cert. ef. 10-30-00 thru 12-31-00; Reverted to FWC 46-1996, f. & cert. ef. 8-23-96; DFW 89-2001(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 9-14-01 thru 12-31-01; DFW 92-2001(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 9-19-01 thru 12-31-01; DFW 93-2001(Temp), f. 9-21-01, cert. ef. 9-24-01 thru 12-31-01; Reverted to FWC 46-1996, f. & cert. ef. 8-23-96; DFW 102-2002(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 9-13-02 thru 12-31-02; DFW 104-2002(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 9-19-02 thru 12-31-02; DFW 106(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 9-24-02 thru 12-31-02; Reverted to FWC 46-1996, f. & cert. ef. 8-23-96; DFW 92-2003(Temp), f. 9-12-03 cert. ef. 9-15-03 thru 12-31-03; Reverted to FWC 46-1996, f. & cert. ef. 8-23-96; DFW 23-2011, f. & cert. ef. 3-21-11; DFW 114-2013(Temp), f. 9-27-13, cert. ef. 10-2-13 thru 10-15-13; Reverted to DFW 23-2011, f. & cert. ef. 3-21-11; DFW 139-2014(Temp), f. 9-24-14, cert. ef. 10-1-14 thru 10-31-14; DFW 145-2014(Temp), f. 10-8-14, cert. ef. 10-13-14 thru 10-31-14; Reverted to DFW 23-2011, f. & cert. ef. 3-21-11; DFW 135-2015(Temp), f. 9-29-15, cert. ef. 10-1-15 thru 10-31-15; DFW 138-2015(Temp), f. 10-7-15, cert. ef. 10-8-15 thru 10-31-15; DFW 144-2015(Temp), f. 10-19-15, cert. ef. 10-20-15 thru 10-31-15; Reverted to DFW 23-2011, f. & cert. ef. 3-21-11; DFW 6-2019, amend filed 01/23/2019, effective 1/23/2019; DFW 146-2019, temporary amend filed 09/27/2019, effective 09/30/2019 through 10/16/2019; DFW 159-2019, temporary amend filed 10/17/2019, effective 10/18/2019 through 10/25/2019; DFW 128-2020, temporary amend filed 09/24/2020, effective 09/24/2020 through 12/31/2020; DFW 142-2020, temporary amend filed 10/23/2020, effective 10/26/2020 through 12/31/2020; DFW 152-2021, temporary amend filed 09/23/2021, effective 09/27/2021 through 12/31/2021; DFW 165-2021, temporary amend filed 10/18/2021, effective 10/19/2021 through 12/31/2021; DFW 166-2021, temporary amend filed 10/18/2021, effective 10/19/2021 through 12/31/2021; DFW 92-2023, temporary amend filed 09/08/2023, effective 9/18/2023 through 12/31/2023; DFW 70-2024, temporary amend filed 08/23/2024, effective 9/16/2024 through 12/31/2024; DFW 82-2024, temporary amend filed 09/18/2024, effective 9/19/2024 through 12/31/2024

Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 506.109 & ORS 506.119

Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 506.129 & ORS 507.030