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SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 2017
Cormorant harassment aims to protect young fish
Harassment, or “hazing,” of
double-crested cormorants is
set to begin soon in several
areas along the Oregon Coast
in an effort to improve survival
of juvenile salmon.
Double-crested cormorants
are fish-eating waterbirds that
occur throughout the state. The
species is an Oregon native,
and is particularly prevalent on
the state’s estuaries during
April through October.
Research indicates cor-
morants can consume signifi-
cant numbers of juvenile
salmon during this time period.
To reduce the threat to young
fish, the Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is
working with several nonprofit
and local governmental organi-
zations to haze cormorants on
six coastal estuaries over the
next two to four months.
Hazing will involve driving
the birds from locations where
juvenile salmon are seasonally
concentrated, toward areas
where non-salmon fish species
are more abundant.
Workers will use boats and,
on some estuaries, small
pyrotechnics, to accomplish the
task.
Hazing is intended to
increase the survival of both
wild-spawned and hatchery
salmon juveniles as they
migrate to the ocean.
Some of these spring
migrants represent species that
are experiencing conditions of
conservation risk, including
coho salmon, which is federal-
ly threatened in Oregon under
the Endangered Species Act.
Hazing workers are being
provided by the Clatsop
County Fisheries Project, Port
of Nehalem, Port of Bandon,
North Coast Salmon and
Steelhead Enhancement Fund
and the Alsea Sportsmen’s
Association.
ODFW will provide a por-
tion of the funding and pro-
gram oversight, and will con-
duct some hazing operations
itself to protect hatchery releas-
es on the lower Columbia
River.
ODFW has coordinated the
cormorant hazing project for
the last eight years, although
cormorant hazing in some form
has occurred at some Oregon
estuaries intermittently since
1988. Hazing will continue
through May 31 on the
Nehalem, Nestucca, and
Coquille river estuaries, and on
Tillamook and Alsea bays.
The program will continue
through at least July 31 on the
lower Columbia River, where
hazing will occur at a variety of
locations, including Young’s
Bay, Blind Slough, and Tongue
Point.
Spring Chinook season
extended on lower Columbia
The spring Chinook fishing
season on the lower Columbia
River has been extended
through April 10 under rules
adopted by Oregon and
Washington fishery managers.
Managers cited poor fishing
conditions and limited harvest
to-date in making their deci-
sion to extend the season.
The Columbia River from
Buoy 10 upstream to Beacon
Rock (boat and bank) plus
bank angling only from
Beacon Rock upstream to the
Bonneville Dam deadline will
remain open for spring
Chinook through Monday,
April 10.
The closure area near the
mouth of the Lewis River
remains in effect.
The daily bag limit is two
adult salmonids per day, but
only one may be a Chinook.
Only adipose fin-clipped
fish may be kept; all sockeye
must be released per perma-
nent regulation.
All other permanent regula-
tions apply.
Anglers are reminded that
under rules previously adopt-
ed, from March 16 through
May 15 the mainstem
Columbia River will be open
for retention of adipose fin-
clipped steelhead.
The Florence Salmon Trout
Enhancement
Program
(STEP) will show a video and
have a talk by Mike Bones on
digging clams in the Siuslaw
Bay during the group’s next
meeting on April 5.
The video will show how
and where to dig the local
eastern soft shell clams. It will
also show how to clean and
prepare them.
Bones grew up in the
Florence area and worked at
Honeyman State Park, where
he led many campers and other
visitors on clamming trips. He
will explain his techniques and
answer questions after the
meeting.
Florence STEP meetings are
held in the back room of the
Florence Elks Club, beginning
at 7 p.m., on the first
Wednesday of each month.
There will be a short busi-
ness meeting before the clam
digging presentation.
The public is welcome at all
STEP meetings.
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STEP to feature local clam
digging expert at next meeting