Compact meets today on fish seasons

The Columbia River Compact will meet this morning (Thursday) at 10 a.m. in the Water Resource Education Center, Vancouver, to review winter activities and possibly set more fishery openings.

A joint state hearing is scheduled to occur immediately following.

At its December 15 meeting, the compact set several fisheries, including a non-Indian commercial sturgeon season that runs Tuesdays, January 9 through February 20, running 24 hours starting at 6 p.m.

Gillnetters are required to use nets with 9-inch minimum and 9 ¾-inch maximum mesh sizes. They may retain white sturgeon and adipose fin-clipped salmon. Green sturgeon retention is prohibited.

The compact also set a commercial Columbia River smelt season consisting of two nine-hour weekly fishing periods, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Mondays and Thursdays January 1 through March 31. Fishermen may use gillnets, dip nets, or trawls as per permanent regulations.

Commercial fishers may also fish the Cowlitz 6 p.m. to midnight Sundays and Wednesdays from January 1 through March 31; gear is restricted to dip nets.

Non-commercial fishers may dip smelt on the Cowlitz, 10 pounds per person, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays, January 1 through March 31. On the Columbia, the sport smelt fishery, 25 pounds per person, runs seven days a week, 24 hours per day January 1 through March 31.