Meeting Minutes WASHINGTON FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION 600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091

ATTENDANCE:
Commission	Department(Cont.)
Kelly White, Chairman	Greg Bargmann
Russ Cahill, Vice Chairman	Morris Barker
Don Heinicke	Ross Fuller
Lisa Pelly	Geraldine Vander Haegen
Dawn Reynolds	Jim Scott
Fred Shiosaki	Craig Busack
Bob Tuck	Phil Anderson
Van Van Gytenbeek	Michele Robinson
	Other Department Staff
Commission Staff:
Debbie Nelson	Public
	Phil Rockefeller, State Representative
Department	Jack Brock
Jeff Koenings, Director	Eric Petit
Larry Peck, Deputy Director	Norris Petit
Jim Lux	Gerald Rowland, Modern Firearm Hunters of WA
Dan Budd	Joe Williams, Department of Ecology
Bruce Crawford	Bob Mottram, Tacoma News Tribune

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3:

Chairman White called the workshop to order at 1:10 p.m.

COMMISSIONERS' DISCUSSION:

Commissioners discussed recent activities and items of general interest and provided status reports on Commission committees.

The Fish Committee is working on putting together a steelhead symposium (wild steelhead release, hooking mortality). Bob Gibbons and Commissioner Van Gytenbeek are working on a proposed format, costs, participants, etc., for review in December by the Commission.

ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF FEE STRUCTURE FOR TWO-CONSECUTIVE DAY SHORT TERM FISHING LICENSES -- BRIEFING:

Bruce Crawford briefed the Commission on the economic impacts of the fee structure for two-consecutive day short term fishing licenses.

Commissioners suggested the Department put together options to increase fees for short term nonresident licenses for possible future legislation.

WASHINGTON INTERACTIVE LICENSING DATABASE (WILD) SYSTEM -- UPDATE:

Bruce Crawford provided the Commission with a status report on the WILD system.

Commissioner Cahill suggested MCI's license dealer training include dealing with customers whose transactions cannot be completed (non-compliance with a support order, license revocation, etc.).

PROPOSED LAND TRANSACTIONS:

Dan Budd presented the Department's request for approval of numerous proposed land transactions.

Commissioner Pelly moved, seconded by Commissioner Cahill, to approve:

The motion carried unanimously.

HERRING PURSE SEINE CLOSURE -- BRIEFING:

Greg Bargmann briefed the Commission on a proposal to close the herring purse seine fishery.

Public input on and Commission consideration of adoption of the final rule proposal will occur at the December 8-9, 2000 Commission meeting in Tukwila.

COMMERCIAL OCTOPUS FISHERY -- BRIEFING:

Morris Barker briefed the Commission on a proposal to close the octopus pot fishery.

Public input on and Commission consideration of adoption of the final rule proposal will occur at the December 8-9, 2000 Commission meeting in Tukwila.

SHELLFISH AQUACULTURE REPEAL -- BRIEFING:

Morris Barker briefed the Commission on a proposal to repeal the paralytic shellfish poisoning seasonal harvest closure. The Department of Health has developed a shellfish monitoring program to be used instead of the seasonal closure.

Public input on and Commission consideration of adoption of the final rule proposal will occur at the December 8-9, 2000 Commission meeting in Tukwila.

BOTTOMFISH TRAWL -- BRIEFING:

Morris Barker briefed the Commission on a proposal to restrict trawl fishing in all coastal state waters and Area 29 to provide protection to inshore rockfish stocks.

Public input on and Commission consideration of adoption of the final rule proposal will occur at the December 8-9, 2000 Commission meeting in Tukwila.

BUDGET UPDATE:

Jim Lux provided a status report on the Department's current biennial budget.

WATERSHED PLANNING ACT -- BRIEFING:

Joe Williams (Assistant to the Director, Department of Ecology) briefed the Commission on the 1998 Watershed Planning Act, including what the law calls for, status of watershed planning, issues facing planning groups, and connections between this process and the Department of Fish and Wildlife/Lead Entity process.

METHOW RIVER TROUT FISHERY:

Ross Fuller provided the Commission with an update on the summer 2000 Methow River trout fishery.

Chairman White recessed the workshop at 4:15 p.m.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4:

Chairman White called the workshop back to order at 8:32 a.m.

SELECTIVE FISHERY TECHNIQUES -- BRIEFING:

Geraldine Vander Haegen briefed the Commission on new commercial selective fishing techniques which permit release of non-target species.

The Department is testing commercial selective fishing techniques that capture fish live and, thus, permit release of non-target species. Eric Petit, a commercial fisherman from Willapa Bay helping the Department with its evaluation of the catch efficiency of the gears and estimation of salmon survival after release, reported that the tangle net is a feasible mesh and is competitive with traditional gear. His main concerns are how commercial selective fisheries will be implemented and that the cost of switching gears must be recovered in a new fishery.

ARTIFICIAL PRODUCTION BENEFIT-RISK ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE -- BRIEFING:

Jim Scott and Craig Busack briefed the Commission on the Benefit-Risk Assessment Procedure which provides a consistent method for evaluating hatcheries and cooperative projects. The procedure includes a: (1) scientific assessment of the potential risks posed by an artificial production program (developed with the western Washington tribes and National Marine Fisheries Service); (2) framework for balancing the potential risks and benefits of the program in the ecological context of the watershed; and (3) planning tool to describe alternative future scenarios and the management actions required to reach each scenario.

Commissioners felt the Department needs to start moving forward on this. Commissioner Pelly suggested that the Department provide another Commission briefing as information becomes available.

SUMMARY OF 2000 TRIAL PURSE SEINE FISHERY FOR SARDINES -- BRIEFING:

Phil Anderson and Michele Robinson presented a summary of the 2000 trial purse seine fishery for sardines, including information on participation, landings, by-catch, and overall management of the fishery.

Department staff will present more detailed recommendations at the December 8-9, 2000 Commission meeting, and may present regulations for the Commission's consideration at its February 2001 meeting.

PACIFIC GROUNDFISH FISHERY STRATEGIC PLAN -- BRIEFING:

Phil Anderson and Michele Robinson briefed the Commission on the Pacific Groundfish Fishery Strategic Plan which will provide guidance for groundfish management in 2001 and beyond.

The strategic plan is intended to be a resource for Pacific Fishery Management Council efforts to rebuild depleted stocks and maintain healthy stocks. It is also intended to guide Council efforts to reduce the size of the fishing fleet to a level that is both biologically sustainable for the resource and economically sustainable for the fishing fleet.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

Commissioner Pelly moved, seconded by Commissioner Van Gytenbeek, to approve the Minutes of the following:

The motion carried unanimously.

MISCELLANEOUS AND WORKSHOP DEBRIEF:

Department staff is putting together a Commission tour to view upriver bright chinook spawning in the Hanford Reach.

Chairman White adjourned the workshop at 11:20 a.m.

Commissioners in Attendance:

Kelly White, Chairman

Russ Cahill, Vice Chairman

Don Heinicke

Lisa Pelly

Dawn Reynolds

Fred Shiosaki

Bob Tuck

Van Van Gytenbeek

Return to Commission Minutes Index