Washington Anti-Gillnet Bill Passes Committee; Restricts Changes to Columbia River
The bill that would eliminate non-tribal gillnets in Washington, SB 5617, passed out of the Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks Committee last week on a 4-2 vote with a substitute bill that would:
- limit the gillnet ban to the Columbia River fishery (instead of including Puget Sound, Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay);
- change the gillnet license buyout from three phases to one; and
- move the effective date of the ban from Jan. 1, 2023, to Jan. 1, 2021.
Committee chair Kevin Van De Wege, Vice Chair...
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