Commission adopts Youngs Bay fishing closure, Feb. 10

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission today passed rules that establish a control zone at the mouth of Youngs Bay and prohibit recreational fishing from Aug. 1-Sept. 15. The purpose of the closure is to reduce the interception of hatchery fish returning to the Youngs Bay commercial fishery. The closure will begin this August 2014. The boundary is a line from the Warrenton Fiber seawall upstream through the green navigation buoys to the Astoria-Megler Bridge. Fishing will not be allowed south of that line and north of Hwy 101 Bridge over Youngs Bay. Regulations for fishing inside Youngs Bay remain under permanent rules, with fishing open during this time period. The closure, along with several other changes to fisheries management, emerged during the 2012 process to restructure sport and commercial fisheries on the Columbia River. Senate Bill 830, passed by the 2013 Oregon State Legislature, directed the Commission to create a closure area. Commission also approved fish screening exemptions and fish pass ers for two proposed hydroelectric projects on the Warmsprings Dam in Malheur County and on the Mason Dam in Baker County. The Commission is the policy-making body for fish and wildlife issues in the state. Its next meeting is scheduled for March 7 in Salem.