Fisheries Off West Coast and Western Pacific States; West Coast Salmon Fisheries; 1997 Management Measures

NMFS establishes fishery management measures for the ocean salmon fisheries off Washington, Oregon, and California for 1997 and for 1998 salmon seasons opening earlier than May 1, 1998. Specific fishery management measures vary by fishery and area. The measures establish fishing areas, seasons, quotas, legal gear, recreational fishing days and catch limits, possession and landing restrictions, and minimum lengths for salmon taken in the exclusive economic zone (3-200 nautical miles (nm)) off Washington, Oregon, and California. These management measures are intended to prevent overfishing and to apportion the ocean harvest equitably among treaty Indian and non- treaty commercial and recreational fisheries. The measures are intended to allow a portion of the salmon runs to escape the ocean fisheries to provide for spawning escapement and inside fisheries.