A series of meetings to discuss salmon runs and fishing seasons will begin Feb. 28 with the release of salmon forecasts for the state.

The meetings, part of the North of Falcon process, will conclude April 1-6 when the Pacific Fishery Management Council meets in Seattle to adopts ocean fisheries regulations and state-tribal fishing plans.

At the Feb. 28 meeting, staffers from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife will release Puget Sound, coastal Washington and Columbia River salmon forecasts. They also will discuss fishery management objectives and 2012 recreational fishing opportunities.

That meeting will be 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in …

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Anglers fishing along the coast will see a lower catch quota for chinook salmon this year even though the total number of fish expected to return is higher.

That is the assessment from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife following Wednesday release of the three ocean salmon-fishing options approved by the Pacific Fishery Management Council.

The council opted for lower quotas that establish a lower harvest range for chinook to protect weak salmon stocks, particularly those returning to the lower Columbia River.

The council establishes fishing seasons in ocean waters three to 200 miles off the Pacific coast.

Here …

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Options for recreational ocean salmon fishing, approved Wednesday, includes an increase in catch quotas for chinook salmon this summer and a possible, albeit short, select fishery for salmon.

The options also reflect the expected lower return of coho, resulting in harvest guidelines for coho that will be lower than last year, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced.

Three ocean salmon-fishing options approved earlier Wednesday by the Pacific Fishery Management Council reflect the anticipated strong return of chinook along the Washington coast bound for the Columbia River this summer. But the three options also point to a decrease from …

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