The Columbia River Compact met yesterday, and took a vote to completely close the Columbia River system to smelt fishing, starting on Thursday. Washington Fish and Wildlife officials say that this year’s fishery in the main stem of the Columbia was intended to act as a test fishery, looking to gauge the abundance of this year’s return. They say that the 2010 smelt run appears to be complete, and that no additional fishing time is required. The closure goes into effect at 12:01 am on Thursday, and on April first, new permanent rules will go into effect. It’s also expected that a ruling on the Endangered Species Act review of Columbia River smelt will be issued in the next few weeks.
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