Group Calls for Steelhead Fishing Ban to Protect Idaho Fish
LEWISTON, Idaho (AP) — A conservation group has asked fisheries managers to shut down steelhead fishing in the Columbia and Snake river basins to protect a wild run that returns to Idaho's Clearwater River. The Conservation Angler tells The Lewiston Tribune in a story on Saturday that even catch-and-release regulations threaten the survival of B-run steelhead. Executive Director David Moskowitz in a letter to Idaho Fish and Game Director Virgil Moore says steelhead fishing should be closed to allow the wild fish to spawn. Fish and Game Fisheries Bureau Chief Jim Fredericks says precautions are in place. He also says there are so few fish to catch that fewer anglers are out trying to catch them. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Fish Program Manager Chris Donley says his agency will likely defer to Idaho concerning Idaho steelhead.