BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) - State wildlife officials are again setting limits on Nooksack River chinook salmon because of projected low returns.
The Bellingham Herald reports a statement issued Tuesday by the Department of Fish and Wildlife says closures of local fisheries for threatened chinook include the San Juan Islands in August and Deception Pass in December and January.
Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind says reducing fisheries is not a long-term solution to the dwindling number of chinook salmon. He says the chinook population will continue to decline if the habitat isn’t improved.
Susewind says the limits will have an indirect effect on the health of southern resident orcas, whose primary food source is chinook, by reducing boat noise and competition for food.
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Information from: The Bellingham Herald, http://www.bellinghamherald.com
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