THE NEWSROOM
NATIONAL
Pure Fishing to Buy Plano
You might not recognize the company name of Pure Fishing but you definitely know a lot of their brands . Salmon and steelhead anglers are familiar with Penn and Abu Garcia reels , or Fenwick and Berkley rods but these are just a few of the more than 19 brands and products that fall under the umbrella of Pure Fishing . And now you can add Plano Synergy Holdings , otherwise known as just Plano , with its entire line-up of tackle storage gear , added to the list of trusted brands under the direction of Pure Fishing .
The purchase of Plano by the larger company was announced in March . This will make it easier for tackle buyers who already have business relationships with Pure Fishing — such as stores and distributors — to add products to their lineup . It will help anglers too as this means distribution of the products will be integrated with tackle stores and outlets that carry the other brands offered by Pure Fishing . The purchase can cause some hesitation to other outdoor companies as yet another business is being bought by a larger corporation .
OREGON
Steelhead Reintroduction Study In Northeast Oregon Stream
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has closed the waters above McKay Dam , including the reservoir and McKay Creek until June 30 for steelhead fishing to allow the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation to release steelhead outfitted with radio transmitters . The goal is to see if the steelhead will move out of the reservoir and into McKay Creek . The last time steelhead swam in these waters was nearly 95 years ago .
There are some bass and trout anglers that frequent the reservoir but most of the creek is private . The study will help resolve unknown issues with the possibility of reintroducing steelhead into the upper McKay basin . The radio transmitters
Brian Kraft
will help identify the fish patterns including potential spawning grounds , migratory barriers and rearing habitat . The information learned will eventually be used regarding fish passage at McKay Dam .
ALASKA
Brian Kraft Orvis ’ Conservationist of the Year
Brian Kraft , owner of Alaska Sportsman ’ s Lodge in Bristol Bay , Alaska , was named Orvis ’ Conservationist of the Year — fitting recognition for his 15-year-long effort to safeguard the Bristol Bay fishery .
Kraft has been a key leader in the fight against the proposed Pebble Mine . While running his sportfishing businesses in Alaska , he led the charge to educate others in Bristol Bay and across America on the threat the mine presented . What started in the early 2000s as traveling by snow machine to different communities in Bristol Bay to talk about the threat of Pebble led to testifying in front of Congressional committees and speaking on prime-time television about why Pebble ’ s permit must be denied in 2020 .
Despite the challenges posed in 2020 , the angling community was thrilled to mark a significant victory in the fight to protect the fish and wildlife resource of Alaska ’ s Bristol Bay Region . Though the war is not yet over , in 2020 the U . S . Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District issued a record of decision that denies the Pebble Limited Partnership ’ s permit application under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act . This decision , and the precedent it sets , relieves the immediate threat of the Pebble Mine to Bristol Bay ’ s incomparable fish habitat , and some well-deserved affirmation made over the past nearly two decades by local Tribes , community leaders and residents and amplified by the conservation community and many others .
With all of this in mind , Orvis is proud to recognize an Endorsed Partner who has gone above and beyond in advocating for the protection of Bristol Bay ’ s salmon resource . This individual has been tireless in his efforts to push back against the unyielding force of the Pebble Limited Partnership . With characteristic scrappiness and hustle , he has served as a dauntless leader within the fly-fishing industry and beyond .
Alaska Files to Defend Salmon Fisheries In Southeast
The State of Alaska plans on joining with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Alaska Trollers Association in defending against a lawsuit filed by the Wild Fish Conservancy . The lawsuit a was filed to stop fishing for salmon in federal waters off of the coast of Southeast Alaska . The waters are under the federal jurisdiction from three to 200 miles offshore . The WFC is claiming the commercial fishing is threatening several salmon stocks in Washington and Oregon as well as affecting the endangered Southern Resident killer whales that depend on the salmon .
Currently the fishery is allowed via a federal permit to the State of Alaska through the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act . Southeast Alaska fisheries generate an estimated $ 804 million is output with $ 484 million in gross domestic product and 6,600 full time jobs . The lawsuit threatens the live-
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