The Columbia River Compact convened a previously unscheduled Compact teleconference at 11:00 a.m. Friday, October 2, 2009 to consider ongoing non-Indian commercial fisheries in the late fall time period. Preliminary estimates from the coho opener on Wednesday, September 30 indicated that as many as 23,300 coho were landed during that 12-hour opener. Total landings to date are estimated to be 40,500 coho, leaving only 3,500 coho vailable under the NMFS exploitation rate cap for the fishery. Even though early stock coho are tracking within pre-season expectations, late stock coho are only just beginning to arrive at counting facilities. The Joint Management Staff recommended that the previously scheduled coho opener for Monday, October 5 in Zones 1-3 be rescinded. That recommendation was adopted. TAC will meet again Tuesday, October 6, 2009. Another Compact is tentatively scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 6, 2009.

Fall Fact Sheet No. 14 and the subsequent Compact Action Notice are appended as PDF files: 

Fall Fact Sheet No. 14

Compact Action Notice, 10-02-09

Written by SFA at 10:40 am. Filed under Columbia River Compact | 0 Comments »