Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; West Coast Salmon Fisheries; Inseason Adjustments and Closures from the U.S.-Canadian Border to the U.S.-Mexican Border

NMFS announces the following inseason adjustments and closures in the recreational salmon fisheries. The regulation regarding compliance with minimum size or other special restrictions for the recreational salmon fishery off Washington, Oregon, and California, was modified from the annual management measures, beginning July 1, 1997. This action was necessary to allow recreational anglers to fish in accordance with management intent. For the recreational salmon fishery in the area from the Queets River to Leadbetter Point, WA, the bag limit was modified to two fish per day, and the area closure was rescinded so that the fishery was open 0 to 200 miles off shore, effective August 13, 1997, through September 4, 1997. This action was intended to liberalize measures for dampening chinook harvest associated with the small coho subarea quota due to sufficient numbers of fish remaining in the overall chinook quota north of Cape Falcon, OR. The recreational salmon fisheries were closed in the following areas: From the U.S.-Canadian border to Cape Alava, WA, at 2400 hours local time (l.t.), July 23, 1997; from Cape Alava to the Queets River, WA, at 2400 hours l.t., August 3, 1997; from the Queets River to Leadbetter Point, WA, at 2400 hours l.t., September 4, 1997; and from Leadbetter Point, WA, to Cape Falcon, OR, at 2400 hours l.t., August 7, 1997. These actions were necessary to conform to the 1997 management measures and was intended to ensure conservation of chinook and coho salmon.