Fox News Flash top headlines for March 1
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Steelhead fishing along the Washington coast has ended this season.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the full closure of sport fishing along the Washington Coast and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The closure went into effect on Tuesday morning, and had been announced after it was determined that this year's returns would be significantly lower than previously expected.
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The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the closure of sport fishing for steelhead along the Washington coast. (iStock)
The department announced that preliminary data shows that this year's returns at local fisheries could be about 30% of what was expected. In a press release, the DFW explained that this would make the returns the lowest ever recorded in some areas.
Kelly Cunningham, WDFW fish program director, said, "Throughout our conversations with anglers and the broader coastal community, we’ve been upfront about our commitment to designing fisheries that meet our conservation objectives. With this preliminary data in hand that now suggests coastal steelhead returns are significantly lower than we expected, we need to take bold, swift actions for the future of these runs."
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The Washing Department of Fish and Wildlife made the decision to close steelhead fishing after returns were recorded at about 30% of what was expected. (iStock)
The state has also launched a long-term planning process to protect both native and hatchery-produced steelhead fish populations in the various river systems throughout the state.
Washington isn't the only state that has had to alter hunting and fishing plans due to population concerns.
Fox News previously reported that the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to pause the wolf hunt in certain areas of the state. According to a report by the Billings Gazette, the commission voted in late-January to pause wolf hunting and trapping in southwest Montana once 82 wolves have been hunted, a number that was reached in mid-February.
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The closure on steelhead fishing went into effect on Tuesday, March 1. (iStock)
Concerns had been raised after a large number of wolves from the Yellowstone area were harvested by hunters. The wolves had likely left the Yellowstone park and entered areas where it was legal to hunt them. Despite this, local officials were concerned about the negative impact this would have on the state park's wolf population.