Forestville, CA – A critical new program to help Russian River anglers correctly identify endangered coho salmon and threatened Chinook salmon was unveiled in the fall of 2009 at Steelhead Beach Regional Park. Representatives from several agencies that regulate or monitor Russian River coho, Chinook and steelhead trout were on hand to discuss the outreach program.
“We hope that this easily understandable phrase, ‘If Mouth Has Black, Put it Back’ will stick with anglers and help them do the right thing,” said David Moore, Interpretive Services Supervisor, Bay Delta Region, California Department of Fish & Game. The mouths of coho and Chinook salmon are black and therefore can be distinguished from a steelhead, which has a white mouth.
Russian River coho and Chinook are illegal for anglers to keep, as are wild steelhead. Anglers can keep up to two hatchery-raised steelhead, which are identified by clipped adipose fins. Confusion can arise if an angler catches a coho that was raised and released through the Russian River Coho Broodstock Program. For monitoring purposes, these coho (which are illegal to keep) also have a clipped adipose fin – leading some anglers to assume that they have caught a hatchery-raised steelhead that can be kept. This identify mistake happened in 2008 during a steelhead fishing contest, when a fisherman landed and kept a female broodstock coho.
“Our involvement in this program came about when were alerted to the fact that a coho and been taken inadvertently and killed,” said Kent MacIntosh, a grassroots organizer for Trout Unlimited of California. “Each of these fish are of significant value to the watershed. The loss of even one is a tragedy.”
Anglers who even accidently catch and keep a coho, Chinook or wild steelhead are subject to state and federal fines and jail time.
Signs highlighting the “If Mouth Has Black, Put It Back” slogan have been posted at more than three dozen popular Russian River access spots, including seven regional parks. In addition, 20,000 free identification cards are being distributed at local tackle shops, at stores that sell fishing licenses and at community events. The signs and cards (which fit into plastic fishing license holders) depict coho salmon, Chinook salmon and steelhead and include photos of fish mouths.
The Russian River Angler Outreach campaign was funded by a $10,000 grant from the Sonoma County Fish & Wildlife Commission.
Here is a video from the press conference:
[ame]http://vimeo.com/7726728[/ame]
Russian River Fact Sheet
Issued by: Sonoma County Water Agency, California
“We hope that this easily understandable phrase, ‘If Mouth Has Black, Put it Back’ will stick with anglers and help them do the right thing,” said David Moore, Interpretive Services Supervisor, Bay Delta Region, California Department of Fish & Game. The mouths of coho and Chinook salmon are black and therefore can be distinguished from a steelhead, which has a white mouth.
Russian River coho and Chinook are illegal for anglers to keep, as are wild steelhead. Anglers can keep up to two hatchery-raised steelhead, which are identified by clipped adipose fins. Confusion can arise if an angler catches a coho that was raised and released through the Russian River Coho Broodstock Program. For monitoring purposes, these coho (which are illegal to keep) also have a clipped adipose fin – leading some anglers to assume that they have caught a hatchery-raised steelhead that can be kept. This identify mistake happened in 2008 during a steelhead fishing contest, when a fisherman landed and kept a female broodstock coho.
“Our involvement in this program came about when were alerted to the fact that a coho and been taken inadvertently and killed,” said Kent MacIntosh, a grassroots organizer for Trout Unlimited of California. “Each of these fish are of significant value to the watershed. The loss of even one is a tragedy.”
Anglers who even accidently catch and keep a coho, Chinook or wild steelhead are subject to state and federal fines and jail time.
Signs highlighting the “If Mouth Has Black, Put It Back” slogan have been posted at more than three dozen popular Russian River access spots, including seven regional parks. In addition, 20,000 free identification cards are being distributed at local tackle shops, at stores that sell fishing licenses and at community events. The signs and cards (which fit into plastic fishing license holders) depict coho salmon, Chinook salmon and steelhead and include photos of fish mouths.
The Russian River Angler Outreach campaign was funded by a $10,000 grant from the Sonoma County Fish & Wildlife Commission.
Here is a video from the press conference:
[ame]http://vimeo.com/7726728[/ame]
Russian River Fact Sheet
Issued by: Sonoma County Water Agency, California