SALEM, Ore.— The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted changes to ODFW regulations for Oregon sea urchins at their virtual meeting on Friday February 14, 2025.
The Commission heard testimony from staff to consider a set of changes to accommodate public interest in three activities: recreational harvest of purple sea urchins for personal use; commercial harvest of purple sea urchins for the retail seafood market; and culling of sea urchins to assist with the conservation of seaweeds and kelp.
The Commission voted unanimously to revise the Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations for the Marine Zone to allow a daily catch limit of 35 purple sea urchins per person per day. Regarding a proposal to establish 24 new commercial take permits, the Commission voted to maintain status quo and did not establish a new commercial purple sea urchin permit system. The Commission voted to revise regulations to allow the department to issue a Letter of Authorization for controlled culling of red and purple sea urchins within three priority sites.
“I’m very pleased with the action taken by the Fish and Wildlife Commission today,” said Steve Rumrill, ODFW Shellfish Program Leader. “I appreciate their commitment to conservation of Oregon’s valuable marine resources. The particular actions they took today will help ensure conservation of bull kelp.”
The Private Forest Accord OAR revision agenda item was postponed. The Department is taking the necessary time to ensure a robust process and expanded engagement with all interested parties. Given time constraints, the Commission also carried over its work session on governance best practices until their March meeting.
As part of the morning Director’s report, Commissioners were updated on ODFW’s Hatchery Resiliency Project. Staff presented results from a third-part assessment of state-owned hatcheries and provided an overview of the public engagement process.
During public forum, the Commission heard testimony from a number of crab fisherman expressing safety concerns with the current regulations around crab season opening and two speakers expressing concern with the Winchester Dam. Two speakers requested the Commission to review its regulations related to barbless hooks in the Columbia.
In the ‘Other Business’ portion of the agenda, the Commission voted to ask the department to review the pros and cons of the existing regulations related to barbless hooks at a future meeting. The Commission also voted to reject a settlement agreement from Douglas County.
The Commission’s workshop on Thursday featured presentations on the risks of road surface runoff to fish and aquatic ecosystems caused by 6PPD-q, a chemical used to prevent tire degradation. A roundtable discussion included ODFW staff, members of the Oregon 6PPD-q Working Group, Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. Geological Survey, Mt. Hood Community College, City of Gresham, and Multnomah County.
The Commission workshop also included a session on urban conservation, community engagement, and Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund (OCRF) case studies from the Portland Metro area. A roundtable discussion with the Commission included members of the OCRF Advisory Committee and OCRF grantees. “I learned a great deal from the workshop conversations especially how important OCRF has been in helping us connect to a broader set of communities,” Chair Mary Wahl.
