ODFW to host meeting on Nestucca fall salmon fishery

TILLAMOOK, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will host a public meeting in Pacific City on Wednesday, April 7 to discuss options for 2010 salmon angling regulations in the Nestucca Basin.

The meeting will take place at Kiawanda Community Center, located at 34600 Cape Kiwanda Dr., in Pacific City from 6-8 p.m.

ODFW biologists will present the latest fall chinook salmon run forecast, conservation goals, and potential management options and they will ask members of
the public for ideas on how to craft fishing seasons, open areas, and bag limits.

While the fall chinook forecast shows increased abundance for many coastal streams, fishery managers believe the Nestucca will see sharp declines this year.

“The Nestucca faces some challenges this year,” said Chris Knutsen, district fish biologist for ODFW’s North Coast Watershed. “We want to work with the public to explore ways of managing this fishery that meet our conservation obligations and still provides some recreational opportunity.”

The April 7 meeting in Pacific City will focus exclusively on the Nestucca Basin fishery. Public input gathered at this meeting will be used to develop proposed regulations that will be presented to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission in June. Additional meetings to discuss other coastal streams are planned in Newport on April 27 and Tillamook on April 28.