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SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015
ODFW working to simplify state fishing regulations
SALEM — For new anglers,
Oregon’s complex fishing regu-
lations can be daunting. Even
seasoned anglers claim they
frequently need a law degree to
help them understand what’s
allowed and what’s not.
Over the years, the Oregon
Department of Fish and
Wildlife (ODFW) has heard an
earful from the fishing commu-
nity about how its regulations
make fishing less fun, and pose
a barrier to new anglers getting
started.
Earlier this year, the agency
embarked on a process to try to
simplify the state’s trout and
warmwater fishing regulations
in time for the 2016 seasons.
“We’ve looked at every
water body across the state, try-
ing to develop common regula-
tions, consistent language, and
increased fishing opportuni-
ties,” said Mike Gauvin,
ODFW recreational fisheries
program manager.
Because of their popularity
and appeal to beginning
anglers, the simplification
process is beginning with trout
and warmwater fisheries,
Gauvin added.
“We’re excited to share with
the public the progress we’ve
made simplifying fishing regu-
lations,” Gauvin said.
Working with local district
fish biologists and Oregon
State Police officers, the sim-
plification process took aim at
the many “special regulations”
that applied to individual water
bodies across the state.
The goal was to reduce the
number of special regulations
to those with a clearly identi-
fied biological or management
purpose, and to streamline the
remaining regulations into
fewer, more consistent cate-
gories, Gauvin said.
Examples of some of the
changes include:
• Eliminating the April trout
opener and (with a few excep-
tions) opening those areas to
year-round fishing.
• Standardizing catch limits
for trout.
• Maintaining consistency in
the how the regulations are list-
ed.
“There still will be a few
exceptions to the general
rules,” Gauvin said, “but they
will be far fewer and easier to
understand.”
Not only will the rules them-
selves be simplified, but there
will be an easier-to-read format
and clearer language in the
sport fishing regulations book-
let.
Beginning in 2016, regula-
tions will be adopted, and new
regulation booklets will be
printed, every two years instead
of every year.
“Trout and warmwater regu-
lations don’t change much from
year-to-year, and in-season reg-
ulations for salmon are posted
on the ODFW website, so we
saw an opportunity to save
some money and time by print-
ing regulations less often,”
Gauvin said.
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