History continues to be made on the lower Columbia River this month with the first commercial fish traps since 1934 now operating at three sites in Washington and Oregon.
Nearly a century ago, fish traps were banned in Washington State due to poor management that led to overharvest and the decline of wild salmon populations. Now, in a historic moment, fish traps will return to the Columbia River for the first time since 1934—this time as a tool to advance the protection and recovery of the basin’s threatened wild salmon and steelhead.
Making history this summer season, local fishers will operate fish traps (otherwise known as pound nets) on both shores of the lower Columbia River in
WFC published a third peer-reviewed paper in the international Journal of Fisheries Research confirming 100% survival for salmon release from passively operated fish traps.
A new bycatch survival study of passively operated fish traps was recently completed for spring-run and summer-run Chinook Salmon in the Columbia River. The results
Check out our newest fish trap video!
Through the wind, rain and the beautiful early fall days, Wild Fish Conservancy and commercial fishing partner Billie Delaney continue to operate the new experimental
Research is underway at Oregon’s first fish trap in over 70 years on the lower Columbia River. At present, Wild Fish Conservancy biologists and our
We are thrilled to announce that Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) has installed the first fish trap in the Columbia River, Oregon since 1948. That’s right,
In an historic moment in late-April 2021, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Director Kelly Susewind officially announced the agency will designate an
Washington state is taking an historic step forward to legalize fish traps for sustainable commercial fishing on the Columbia River. This week, Washington Department of
By Kurt Beardslee, Executive Director of Wild Fish Conservancy A momentous decision awaits the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) this month as the
Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) is pleased to announce the beginning of a new adventure on the lower Columbia River! This winter, pilings were driven in
A publication recently released in BioScience suggests that a return to historical Indigenous fishing practices and systems of salmon management may be key to revitalizing
Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB)— a primary television and radio public broadcasting network for Oregon and southern Washington— aired a special on the fish trap project
Last week, Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) biologists completed a lengthy coho salmon post-release survival study at the Cathlamet fish trap in the lower Columbia River,
We are pleased to announce that Wild Fish Conservancy’s (WFC) 2019 fish trap research has been peer-reviewed and published in the North American Journal of
Sustainably harvested salmon from the fish trap are now available at Seattle’s most renowned seafood restaurants. In September and October, James Beard award-winning Chef Renee
Thanks to our members, supporters, and funders, fishing is underway at the fish trap near Cathlamet, WA. Since late-August, Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC), the Washington
Wild Fish Conservancy’s (WFC) field research team is back on the lower Columbia River near Cathlamet, Washington to advance research of a modified commercial fish
We are proud to share a brand new fish trap video made in conjunction with North Fork Studios! Featuring local commercial fishers, processors, and Seattle’s
For Wild Fish Conservancy’s (WFC) field research staff, there was a lot to celebrate as 2019 drew to a close. In November, WFC wrapped up
