2 B SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2017 Stranded juvenile green sea turtle passes away Recreational crabbing reopens along most of Oregon coast On Wednesday, the Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced that recreational crabbing has been reopened from the north jetty of the Coquille River to the Columbia River. An area from Tahkenitch Creek (north of Winchester Bay) to Cape Foulweather (north of Newport) was pre- viously closed due to elevat- ed domoic acid levels. Recent crab samples taken from the area indicate these levels have dropped and remain below the alert level. This reopening of the recreational season applies to crab harvested in the ocean and in bays and estu- aries, and on beaches, docks, piers, and jetties. Recreational crab harvest- ing remains closed along the southern Oregon coast from the north jetty of the Coquille River (including the Coquille estuary) to the California border. Before crabbing, confirm the status of ODFW/ODA harvest areas relative to con- cerns about elevated biotox- ins at www.oregon.gov/ ODA/programs/Food Safety/Shellfish/Pages/Shell fishClosures.aspx. • Recreational crabbing: Currently open in the ocean and in all bays and estuaries that are not under the health advisory. • Commercial ocean crab- bing: Delayed in all areas until at least Dec. 16. Commercial bay crab- bing: Commercial bay crab- bing remains closed in all areas due to the delay in the ocean commercial Dungeness crab fishery. Despite the commercial closure, crab and shellfish products sold in retail mar- kets and restaurants remain safe for consumers. It is always recommended to eviscerate the crab and discard the “butter” (viscera or guts) prior to cooking. When whole crab are cooked in liquid, domoic acid may leach into the cooking liquid. It is recom- mended to discard the cook- ing liquid, and do not use it in other dishes, such as sauces, broths, soups, stews, stocks, roux, dressings, etc. The consumption of crab viscera is not recommended. For more information, call ODA’s shellfish safety information hotline at 800- 448-2474. COURTESY ODFW Start planning for 2018 fishing, hunting seasons SALEM — The new 2018 Oregon Sport Fishing and 2018 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations are now available at outdoor stores and ODFW offices, or at www.eregulations .com or through its new recre- ation website at MyODFW. com. As of Friday, 2018 licens- es and tags are also on sale at license sales agents most ODFW offices and online. Fishing and hunting licenses can make great gifts, especially for kids. Youth age 12 to 17 can fish (including Columbia River Endorsement), hunt, crab and clam all year for $10 with the Youth License, or gift the Sports Pac ($55) and add all major hunting and fishing tags/validations including deer, elk, turkey, bear, cougar and combined angling tag. ODFW’s special big game hunt raffle tickets also make great stocking stuffers ($4.50- $11.50 for chance to win a spe- cial deer, elk, bighorn sheep, pronghorn or Rocky Mountain goat tag). To give a license, tag or other document as a gift, you need the hunter or angler’s full name and date of birth (day, month, year). If the person has had a license before, make sure you have their ODFW hunter/ angler ID number, which is found at the top of their license and stays the same every year. If you are purchasing for some- one who has never had a license, you will need to pro- vide their social security num- ber in compliance with Federal and State Laws. What’s New for 2018 • Big Game Hunting: New in the 2018 regulations, signifi- cant changes are in yellow highlighted text not red text, consistent with fishing regula- tions. The only major regulatory changes for hunters are the extension of the age limit for the Mentored Youth Hunt Program to include 14- and 15- year-olds (goes into effect Jan. 1), and a removal of the cap on non-resident fall bear tags. Hunters will notice some changes in the regulations as staff have been working to make the document easier to follow and understand. New this year, each species follows the same standard for- mat and organization; there are more maps and tables and less text; and all regulations for youth, veterans and landowners are in one place on new pages. The changes are part of a multi-year effort to simplify Oregon’s Big Game Hunting Regulations. • Fishing: New in the 2018 regulations, five rods or lines are allowed when ice-fishing for anglers with a two-rod vali- dation. Other changes are noted in yellow highlight throughout the regulations. Note that two rods are only allowed when fishing in lakes, ponds and reservoirs, though the two-rod validation may be extended to some rivers and streams in 2018 if conditions allow. Fishing regulations have also been reorganized for clari- ty. New this year, rule excep- tions are consistently organized and listed from the mouth to the headwaters, with each reach break identified, so anglers can better understand the regulations for each section of the river they are fishing. While ODFW had originally planned to offer free fishing Dec. 31, 2017 through Jan. 1, 2018, the department has can- celled those dates to stay with- in the eight-day limit in 2018 and to offer free fishing during months when fishing condi- tions are better. • Fee increase for 2018 Fees for some hunting and fishing documents will increase for 2018, as approved by the Oregon State Legislature when it passed ODFW’s 2015-17 budget. Typically, ODFW raises fees once every six years but during this six-year cycle, fee increas- es are staggered with a more modest fee increase every two years. For 2018, a hunting license will increase by $1.50 to $33.50, an annual fishing license will increase by $3 to $41 and a combination license will increase by $4 to $69. The cost of juvenile licenses will stay the same as part of efforts to make hunting and fishing affordable for young people and their families. For a full list of the new fees visit www.MyODFW.com. NEWPORT — A juvenile green sea turtle that arrived at the Oregon Coast Aquarium for care on Sunday night passed away last Monday evening. A Fort Stevens State Park ranger found the young hypothermic sea turtle strand- ed at the mouth of the Columbia River near the South Jetty Sunday morning. The Oregon Coast Aquarium has not cared for a green sea turtle since 2012, although, in addition to the olive ridley, it is the species most often found stranded on Pacific northwest beaches. Green sea turtles inhabit tropical and subtropical waters, and the late juvenile likely originated from the East Pacific population, which is classified as Threatened by the Endangered Species Act. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Field Advisor, Laura Todd, said that the Oregon coast “hasn’t had as many greens in recent years, even though his- torically they have been the most common species found stranded. A very young Pacific green, however, is very rare.” Upon the green sea turtle’s arrival at the aquarium, hus- bandry staff administered flu- ids, obtained blood samples, and conducted a physical assessment. The animal received X-rays the following morning. Staff said the sea turtle appeared responsive and passed waste, but a high white blood cell count warned that the turtle was likely fighting a signifi- cant infection. The aquarium performed a necropsy on the animal to fur- ther ascertain the cause of death. Staff found no foreign material in the stomach or intestine, but samples will be evaluated for biotoxin expo- sure as well. Multiple organizations, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service and the Marine Mammal Stranding Network will utilize the necropsy results for future research on sea turtles. Although the odds of the successful rehabilitation of extremely sick sea turtles are low, aquarium staff work dili- gently to treat the animals and are saddened by their passing. Turkey, the female olive ridley that arrived at the aquarium on Thanksgiving, is still undergo- ing treatment. Sea turtles are not found on Oregon or Washington beach- es unless stranded. The aquari- um typically sees these extremely sick turtles in the winter, possibly due to the cold water temperatures, changing currents and high frequency of harsh storms that wash the hypothermic turtles ashore. If you find a sea turtle on the beach, note its location, remain nearby to observe it, and contact the Oregon State Police Tipline at 800-452- 7888. Horse Club returning for young equestrians in January C&M Stables has announced the Horse Club for equestrians between ages of 6 and 18 will soon begin its sec- ond session of the 2017-18 school year. The weekly one-hour pro- gram enables Horse Club members to build on the skills learned in the previous weeks and use hands-on techniques to learn safety around horses, grooming and riding. The pro- gram also reviews horse and tack parts, and provides writ- ten handouts on its major sec- tions. The program goals are for members to learn the basic fundamentals of horseman- ship, how much fun it is to ride and what wonderful animals horses are. The afterschool classes last for 15 weeks, beginning the week of Jan. 29, and ending the week of May 13. To sign up for Horse Club, stop by C&M Stables, 8 miles north of Florence at 90241 Highway 101, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., seven days a week. For more information, call the stables at 541-997-7540. HIGH VISIBILITY RETAIL SPACE 490 Hwy. 101, In Beautiful FLORENCE, Oregon $495,000 A weekly roundup of shopping, savings and doings around town. for voting us Best Audiologist Call today to schedule your free hearing consultation. HEARING 541.991.4475 of Florence ASSOCIATES FLORENCE 1525 12th St, Ste 2 Scott C. Anderson, Au.D. Steven G. Anderson, Au.D. HearingAssociatesofFlorence.com HIGH Visibility Retail Space (was formerly “Mon Ami”) with 3 Apartments with easily accessible parking. 5,000sq ft +/- Building with Ground level Retail Space in the “Florence Antique District” and secure Apartments upstairs, one (1) overlooking the City of Florence. Come enjoy the breathtaking views of the Oregon Coast sunsets! Retail Space can be one 2500sq ft +/- store or divided into two (2) separate Retail stores. Come bring your Business & Move-In. Call me anytime for more info. RMLS# 16689284 HIGH VISIBILITY RETAIL SPACE 490 Hwy. 101, In Beautiful FLORENCE, Oregon $495,000 HIGH Visibility Retail Space (was formerly “Mon Ami”) with 3 Apartments with easily accessible park- ing. 5,000sq ft +/- Building with Ground level Retail Space in the “Florence Antique District” and secure Apartments upstairs, one (1) overlooking the City of Florence. Come enjoy the breathtaking views of the Oregon Coast sunsets! Retail Space can be one 2500sq ft +/- store or divided into two (2) separate Retail stores.Come bring your Business & Move-In. Call me anytime for more info. RMLS# 16689284 Realty 541-997- 4842 N ATALIE N AGRONE , Broker Cell # 541-991-0531 natalienagrone@gmail.com - 5 ' :;<:<=<= 16 >