If you haven't heard there are some dramatic changes coming for gillnetters on the main stem Columbia River. It began when the Oregon Coastal Conservation Association got a measure on the ballot to remove gillnets. That got the Oregon governor in gear and he set up a work group made up of Oregon and Washington Fish and Wildlife commissioners met to develop a plan.

The two states agreed to a plan to transition commercial fisheries to phase out gillnet in the main stem by 2017. It would gradually increase the catch share of salmon for the sport fishery in the main stem over the next four years and by 2017 providing 100 percent of the summer and main stem spring Chinook harvest to the sport fishery, while increasing spring Chinook opportunity for the commercial fishery in the off-channel areas.

The also requires sport anglers fishing for salmon and steelhead in the main stem Columbia River and its tributaries to use barbless hooks beginning in 2013. What I have said here is just a portion of the plan, and there are other important elements. I urge you to see all the details by visiting the Department of Fish and Wildlife web site.