Top photo: Linda Behnken, Kent Barkhau and canine friend on the water Fishery managers and fishermen recognize that good catch accounting is essential to sustainable fisheries. Collecting data on fish delivered to the dock presents one set of challenges; collecting data on fish captured at sea but then released or discarded for regulatory or market […]
Our Blog: From the Waterfront
What Do Anglers Want?
Photo by John McMurray Every now and then, my wife and I will be talking to someone who doesn’t fish. Upon learning that we do, and that we own a boat, a typical reaction is something like “That’s really nice. You don’t have to go to the store to buy fish.” And one of us […]
Magnuson-Stevens Act: Don’t You Go Changin’
Photo: two thumbs up from Ron Chamness and fishing buddy with a mid-Columbia River fall Chinook. Parked in a parking lot at the mouth of the Chetco River on the southern Oregon coast, the ocean was alive with migrating grey whales. They were spyhopping, finning, breaching and spouting for as long as we wanted to […]
Budgets for Climate Change Studies and NOAA Under Attack
Defunding Programs Could Harm Fisheries and Fishing Communities Last week many in the fishing community were talking about President Trump’s budget and its impact on climate change, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the fish. Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), more than 40 species have been rebuilt. […]
Good Fishery Management Is Good For Business
Photo: Winter Flounder It’s the end of March, and my boat should be in the water. At one time, it would have been. Despite cold and wind, I’d have been waiting for the weekend, because March 17—St. Patrick’s Day—was the unofficial start of the winter flounder season. I, and a horde of other anglers all […]
The Value of Eco-region Diversity on Land & in the Ocean
Photo: Migratory salmon need many healthy habitats for survival I just completed a 420 mile round trip to Southern Oregon. Having been born and raised in Northwest Oregon, as well as spending the vast majority of my professional life in this region, it’s easy to forget how diversified the greatest state in the union is. […]
Microfiber Pollution in our Oceans
Microfiber & other plastic debris threaten ocean wildlife. Photo by Tiago Fioreze, via Wikipedia. As a part-time fishing guide, water is an essential element of my life. What happens to and in the water has a direct impact on the quality of the experience for my clients. As a board member of the American Fly […]
Building Resilience into Forage Fish Stocks
Photo: Pro guide Chris Vertopoulos netted this 37-inch steelhead for client Dave Billheimer on the lower Wilson River on 2/23/2017 It hasn’t been all that long since anglers starting learning how abundant stocks of forage fish play a role in the success of our most pursued species of salmon, steelhead, albacore and other sport important […]