ODFW release - BANDON, Ore.— Leadership of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Coquille Indian Tribe came together near the mouth of the Coquille River Thursday to announce a major step forward in the combined management effort on salmon recovery. ODFW is proposing to restart Chinook salmon fishing in the Coquille River this fall following the efforts of the Coquille Tribe, ODFW staff and extensive community volunteer work to improve the performance of the hatchery program. Under a Chinook proposal to be considered by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission on Sept. 12 in Ontario and a wild coho proposal to be considered Aug. 15 in Salem, the following regulations would be in effect on the Coquille River this fall: Open for salmon fishing Sept. 13-Oct. 15 from the Hwy 101 bridge upstream to the Hwy 42S Sturdivant Park Bridge near the town of Coquille. Daily bag limit of two adult salmon (hatchery Chinook and wild coho only, but only one may be a wild coho) and a season limit of 3 wild coho; If approved, the season would mark the first fall Chinook opportunity on the Coquille River since 2021 and add to wild coho fishing opportunities that returned in 2024. Members of the public can comment on the proposals via the ODFW rulemaking page. Fall Chinook fisheries on the Coquille River have primarily been supported by abundant wild populations. But wild Chinook returns to the Coquille River fell dramatically in 2018 due to the illegal introduction and spread of smallmouth bass, a voracious predator of juvenile salmon. Warming river temperatures, low flows and poor ocean conditions also played a role. The long-running hatchery program, which relied heavily on wild broodstock, also experienced several setbacks. ODFW was unable to collect sufficient broodstock/eggs, so fewer smolts were released. ODFW and the Coquille Tribe signed a historic Memorandum of Agreement in June 2022 to collaborate, share resources and work as partners to enhance fish and wildlife populations. They quickly leaned into their relationship and started working together more closely, alongside volunteers from local STEP (Salmon Trout Enhancement Program) groups. This broader effort increased brood collection efforts so more hatchery fish could be spawned and more smolts released. Improvements in design and operations at the Ferry Creek broodstock collection trap helped meet broodstock collection targets. A new smolt acclimation and adult collection site was also developed on the Tribe's Lampa Creek property. The effort is just one of several actions ODFW, the Coquille Tribe, and volunteers are taking to restore fisheries in the Coquille River. Other efforts include: Habitat restoration and protection: Collaborative projects between the Tribe, ODFW, SWCD in Coos County and other partners using federal and other grant funds to improve fish passage and restore habitat. Electrofishing to remove smallmouth bass: Nearly 40,000 smallmouth bass have been removed from the Coquille River. Conservation hatchery program: An additional hatchery program to supplement the wild population is underway, rearing some fish at Elk River Hatchery and releasing them in the upper basin at a size and time when they are less vulnerable to smallmouth bass. Experimental hatchboxes: Unfed fry are being released from hatchboxes (aka streamside incubators) at several locations with genetic sampling of adult returns planned to help determine the experimental program's effectiveness. During a press conference announcing the proposals in Bandon, Ore., ODFW Director Debbie Colbert and Coquille Indian Tribe Chairwoman Brenda Meade expressed their commitment to continuing to work together to enhance salmon and steelhead populations and fishing opportunities. They say given the unique past, current, and anticipated future conditions of the Coquille system, a unified, holistic management approach is essential to achieve this mission. "Coquille people have a sacred duty to care for fish and wildlife that aligns with the mission of the ODFW well," said Chair Brenda Meade. "Our shared vision is that the Coquille and Coos systems will be widely recognized as a premier salmon and steelhead fishery and a cornerstone of the cultural, social and economic well-being of the region. We are calling this the "Hot Zone" – a Harvest Opportunity Zone. Our MOA and work we do under it is not only about government-to-government work and respect, but also about truly listening to this community and involving the community in our work as valued partners with knowledge, ideas, and contributions to give too." "We needed to act after the Coquille River reached a tipping point a few years ago with the drastic decline of wild Chinook from an average of about 10,000 returning adults to just 300 in 2019 due to low flows, warming river temperatures and invasive predators," said ODFW Director Debbie Colbert. "The situation called for an all-out effort to pull Coquille River's salmon and fishing opportunities back from the brink." I'm thrilled we can celebrate this positive step in the right direction," Colbert continued. "I hope the collective efforts of the Tribe, ODFW and volunteers bring more results for salmon in the future, including for wild runs which remain very low." ODFW and the Tribe remain committed to management actions and projects that grow salmon and steelhead abundance and enhance harvest opportunities, with both natural and hatchery produced salmon playing an important role.