Group pushes for sea lion legislation
The Northwest Steelheaders are hoping anglers will join them for Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley’s town hall meeting to be held at Camp Withycombe in Clackamas, Ore., at 9 a.m. Thursday.
The group is urging the Democratic senator to push the Senate to draft a companion bill to the sea lion bill recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, (HR 2083), sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground.
NW Steelheaders Executive Director Bob Rees said the event is a chance for the sport fishing community to show support for the legislation.
The house bill authorizes the states and tribes to use lethal force to control problem sea lions that threaten some salmon and steelhead stocks with extinction.
“We are working the Senate to get broad-based support for keeping our Columbia basin salmon, steelhead and sturgeon stocks from going extinct,” Rees said.
“If passed, Senate Bill 3119 will be a major step forward in dealing with the pinniped crisis in the basin,” he added.
The Steelheaders will have coffee and donuts for participants in the parking lot at 8:30 a.m. for a briefing beforehand.
For more information, call Bob Rees at 503-812-9036.
WSU Extension offers class on preserving wild game
WSU Clark County Extension is offering a program on how to preserve wild game .
Learn how to preserve wild game for preservation whether by smoking, freezing or home canning it. There is also a section on making jerky and sausage.
The program is 6-8 p.m., Wednesday, July 25 at the Heritage Farm, 1919 N.E. 78th St, in Vancouver.
Cost is $20 per person and pre-registration is required.
For more info call 360-397-6060, ext 5733 or visit online at https://extension.wsu.edu/clark/event/how-to-preserve-wild-game-2/
Nearshore halibut closed in Columbia River subarea
The Pacific halibut nearshore sport fishery in the Columbia River subarea (Leadbetter Point to Cape Falcon) closed on Saturday because the entire subarea quota has been caught.
Opportunities to fish for Pacific halibut remain open in other areas of Oregon:
Off central Oregon between Cape Falcon (near Manzanita) and Humbug Mountain (near Port Orford), the spring all-depth halibut fishery has enough quota remaining for two back-up dates to be open, Friday and Saturday.
• Anglers can fish for halibut inside the 40-fathom line seven days a week through Oct. 31 or attainment of the harvest quota (25,856 pounds) for that fishery.
• The summer season all-depth is scheduled to begin on Aug. 3-4 every other Friday and Saturday until Oct. 31 or the quota of 53,866 pounds has been met. The high-relief area of Stonewall Bank, west of Newport, is closed to all halibut fishing.
Days on which Pacific halibut fishing is open will be announced on the NOAA Fisheries hotline (1-800-662-9825) and posted on the Marine Zone Recreation Report Regulation Updates page and 2018 Pacific Halibut Regulations page.
