PACIFIC COUNTY — The 2019-2020 steelhead fishery’s closure along the Washington coast left a rotten taste in the mouths of many fishermen, who felt that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife wasn’t transparent in its decision making.
The agency is acknowledging the mistake and has instituted an entirely new process that includes public input. Because of warmer ocean water that makes it more difficult for steelhead to survive, season setting is likely to be an ongoing challenge.
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