Idaho wildlife officials are closing the steelhead fishing season early next month, and foregoing a spring season.
The Idaho Fish and Game Commission’s decision Wednesday to close the seasons was prompted by a lawsuit threatened by fishing and conservation groups who contend this year’s low return of protected wild steelhead warrants a shortened fishery to guard against any incidental mortality. While regulations require anglers to release any wild fish they catch, the experience does result in death for a small fraction of the released fish.
Last month the plaintiffs filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue state officials, and that notice ends December 7th.
Idaho’s Fisheries Management and Evaluation Plan, which gives the state some leeway under the Endangered Species Act to incidentally harm a small percentage of protected wild steelhead, expired in 2009. The state submitted a new plan the same year, but federal officials hadn’t taken action until last week, when the federal agency released a draft of the plan for public comment.
The review process could be completed and a plan approved late this winter or early next spring, but the lack of an approved plan leaves the state vulnerable to litigation.
This year’s steelhead run is one of the worst on record. Between July 1st and November 12th, only about 94,400 steelhead have been counted passing Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River – the lowest amount since 1978. Of the total, just under 340,000 are wild fish, which is the fewest in 22 years. (Lewiston Tribune)
