A Washington court has rejected gillnetters' lawsuit over new rules limiting gillnet fishing to sloughs and other waters off the main channel of the Columbia.
Cassandra Profita
A court in Washington state has dismissed a lawsuit filed by commercial gill netting groups.
The lawsuit challenged a new policy proposed by Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber and adopted earlier this year by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission. The policy would eventually ban the use of non-tribal gill nets for salmon fishing on the main channel of Columbia River. It would still allow them in certain side channels.
Robert Sudar is a former gill-netter who was involved in filing the lawsuit in Washington. He said he doesn't know whether his group will appeal the ruling.
"We need to regroup and talk that over amongst ourselves," Sudar said. "Right now we're in the middle of a fishery on the Columbia. It's our last week, and we're all tied up in that."
Sudar's group has 30 days to appeal. A similar lawsuit challenging the policy is pending in Oregon.
Sportfishing and conservation groups who support the new policy are celebrating the court's decision. They say now a similar result is more likely in Oregon.
