Development and Implementation of Wild Fish Release Fishing Regulations in Washington State

Recreational anglers spend over 13.5 million angler days and over $1 billion on fishing related expenditures annually in the State of Washington. Therefore, it is prudent that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) manage its freshwater and saltwater fisheries to meet social and conservation needs. Due to fish losses from habitat destruction and hydroelectric development, hatchery programs often sustain many trout, salmon, and steelhead harvest oriented fisheries. To protect at risk wild populations, hatchery fish are externally marked (e.g. adipose fin clipped) so anglers can quickly identify hatchery fish that can be retained from wild fish that are often required by regulation to be released; these are referred to as mark selective fisheries. In addition, WDFW has implemented fisheries for the catch and release wild fish in wild fish management zones under selective gear regulations, which require the use of a barbless hooks and unscented artificial lures or flies. In this presentation, we will share examples of how WDFW has  balanced science and conservation in the development of fishing regulations to maintain diverse fishing opportunities, meet conservation objectives, and receive the federal authorization for fisheries that impact populations listed for protection under the US Endangered Species Act.