Title 42, Commercial Fishing and Fisheries

(1) It shall be the policy of the State of Oregon that rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, including steelhead trout are game fish, and shall be managed to provide recreational angling for the people and to protect wild native stocks. Recognizing that rainbow trout are sometimes …

(1) Any person who takes any immature salmon of any variety less than 20 inches in length, or any mature salmon of any variety less than 15 inches in length, by any means other than angling, shall immediately return such salmon alive to the water. (2) It is unlawful to: (a) Take,…

It is unlawful to sell, can, process or preserve for food any food fish that have been removed from the water for a longer period than 60 hours, unless such fish have been artificially chilled. [Amended by 1965 c.570 §102]

If the State Fish and Wildlife Commission or its authorized representatives finds that food fish about to be processed, packed, canned, preserved in ice or sold in the open market are unfit for human consumption, it or they shall notify the packer or possessor of such fish of the…

It is unlawful to possess, import into this state or transport within this state any food fish which have been unlawfully taken or transported under the laws of another state. [Amended by 1957 c.291 §1; 1965 c.570 §108]

(1) All transportation companies, common carriers or other persons or agencies transporting food fish, fresh, frozen, salted, smoked, kippered or preserved in ice, shall require of the shipper, before accepting such shipments, a signed statement in writing showing: (a) The name o…

It is unlawful for any person wantonly to waste or destroy any food fish. [Formerly 509.065]

It is unlawful, without written authority from the State Fish and Wildlife Commission, to place in any of the waters of this state any species or variety of fish whatsoever which are inimical to or destructive of food fish. [Amended by 1965 c.570 §105]

It is unlawful to use or permit to be used in any of the waters of this state any electrical device, appliance or current which in any manner has a tendency to retard, scare, frighten or obstruct any food fish in their migrations or movements in such waters without first having o…

As used in ORS 509.125 to 509.155, unless the context requires otherwise: (1) “Explosives” means any explosive substances whatever, including but not limited to powder, dynamite and nitroglycerine. (2) “Substance deleterious to fish” includes but is not limited to any drug, powde…

It is unlawful to place or cause to be placed in any stream of this state where anadromous or food fish run or exist, within the distance from any dam, fishway or object in which the taking of any anadromous or food fish by means other than angling is prohibited by law, any blood…

It is unlawful, for the purpose of taking or destroying any food fish, to: (1) Throw, cast or pass, or cause or permit to be thrown, cast or passed, in any waters of this state in which food fishes are wont to be, any substance deleterious to fish; or (2) Explode or cause to be e…

(1) Whenever in the course of removing any obstruction in any waters of this state, or in constructing any foundations for dams, bridges or other structures, or in carrying on any trade or business, any person, municipal corporation, political subdivision or governmental agency d…

Nothing in ORS 509.125 to 509.155 prevents the State Fish and Wildlife Commission from using any explosives or substances deleterious to fish for the purpose of destroying German carp or any other predatory fish inimical to food fish, or from carrying out any of the commercial fi…

Having in possession any food fish under circumstances which make it reasonable to believe that they were taken by means of explosives or substances deleterious to fish justifies the arrest of the person having the fish in possession. It is then incumbent upon such person to prov…

(1) As used in this section: (a) “Shark fin” means the raw or dried fin or tail of a shark. (b) “Spiny dogfish” means a shark belonging to the family Squalidae in the order Squaliformes that has two spines, one anterior to each dorsal fin, and that does not have an anal fin. (2) …

(1) Subject to the conditions provided in this section and ORS chapter 513, it is unlawful to have in possession any food fish taken in the waters of the Pacific Ocean outside the territorial jurisdiction of this state by means of any fishing gear except as provided by law or rul…

It is unlawful to use or assist in using any Chinese sturgeon line, or lines of a similar character, in the waters of this state. [Amended by 1965 c.570 §119]

It is lawful to operate or use a net consisting of a single nylon or cotton web of a mesh not less than 14 inches, taut measure, hung or attached to not to exceed two lead lines combined and used as a single line and a single cork line, in any of the waters of this state, during …

Any person desiring to operate a snagging net as provided in ORS 509.240 shall, before operating or attempting to so operate such net, obtain from the State Fish and Wildlife Director a snagging permit by forwarding a written request to the office of the State Fish and Wildlife C…

As used in ORS 509.355 to 509.385: (1) “Citizen of this state” means a person who maintains the usual place of abode of the person within this state or who otherwise qualifies as a citizen of this state under the laws of this state. (2) “International waters” means waters outside…

(1) ORS 509.355 to 509.385 shall not be operative at any time unless laws or rules or regulations of California, Washington and Canada are effective which, in substance or effect, contain provisions: (a) Similar to and which accomplish the purposes of ORS 509.355 to 509.385; or (…

No person shall fish for or take, by the use of any type of net, any salmon within the waters of the Pacific Ocean, over which this state has jurisdiction, lying westerly of the following described line: Commencing at the point of intersection of the California-Oregon state bound…

No citizen of this state shall fish for or take, by the use of any type of net, any salmon within the international waters of the Pacific Ocean. [1957 c.152 §3]

No person shall transport through the waters of this state wherein net fishing for salmon is prohibited or have in possession anywhere within this state any salmon which were taken by any type of net within the international waters of the Pacific Ocean or within the territorial w…

ORS 509.355 to 509.385 do not apply to: (1) Those species of salmon in those areas within the international waters of the Pacific Ocean that are regulated by the Pacific Salmon Commission or by United States laws or rules or regulations promulgated pursuant to such laws. (2) The …

(1) No person shall take a crab from any of the waters of the state for commercial purposes, with or by the use of any other gear than that specifically known as crab ring or crab pot, or sell or offer for sale crabs unlawfully caught. (2) The taking of Dungeness crab (Cancer mag…

It is unlawful for any person, municipal corporation, political subdivision or governmental agency to deposit or allow to escape into, or cause or permit to be deposited or escape into any public waters of this state, any substance of any kind which will or shall in any manner in…

It is unlawful, without the permission of the legal occupants, to take up shellfish from natural or artificially planted beds, which beds have been lawfully and plainly marked. It is unlawful willfully to disturb the shellfish in such beds, the surfaces of such beds, or the marke…

A person who holds a license or permit issued under the commercial fishing laws may not possess or land any species of euphausiids, commonly known as krill, or take euphausiids from any waters of the Pacific Ocean over which this state has jurisdiction, including the area outside…

As used in ORS 509.580 to 509.590, 509.600 to 509.645 and 509.910: (1) “Artificial obstruction” means any dam, diversion, culvert or other human-made device placed in the waters of this state that precludes or prevents the migration of native migratory fish. (2) “Construction” me…

(1) It is the policy of the State of Oregon to provide for upstream and downstream passage for native migratory fish and the Legislative Assembly finds that cooperation and collaboration between public and private entities is necessary to accomplish the policy goal of providing p…

(1) The State Fish and Wildlife Director shall establish a Fish Passage Task Force to advise the director and the State Department of Fish and Wildlife on matters related to fish passage in Oregon, including but not limited to funding, cost sharing and prioritization of efforts. …

(1) The Fish Passage Task Force established pursuant to ORS 509.590 shall provide advice to the State Department of Fish and Wildlife regarding the projects to be funded and the expenditures to be made from the Fish Passage Restoration Subaccount created under ORS 497.141. (2) Th…

The State Fish and Wildlife Director shall report to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate and the appropriate legislative committee with responsibility for salmon restoration or species recovery: (1) Prior to the adoption of rules…

(1) A person may not willfully or knowingly destroy, injure or take fish within 600 feet of any fishway, except as permitted by subsection (2) of this section. Actions that violate this section include, but are not limited to: (a) Hindering, annoying or disturbing fish entering, …

(1) Subject to ORS 509.645, when the State Department of Fish and Wildlife requires fish passage to be provided pursuant to ORS 509.585, the person owning or operating an artificial obstruction shall keep the fish passage in such repair as to provide adequate fish passage of nati…

If, in the judgment of the State Department of Fish and Wildlife, fish passage is not functioning as intended or is inadequate, as constructed under ORS 509.585, the State Fish and Wildlife Commission may condemn the fish passage and order new fish passage installed in accordance…

(1) The State Department of Fish and Wildlife may determine or ascertain by inspection of any artificial obstruction whether it would be advisable to construct fish passage, or order the construction pursuant to ORS 509.585 of fish passage, at the artificial obstruction. Without …

The State Department of Fish and Wildlife may determine or ascertain by inspection of any natural obstruction whether it would be advisable to construct fish passage over or around such natural obstruction. If it is deemed advisable the State Fish and Wildlife Commission may cons…

(1) The fishways over the falls in the Willamette River, near Oregon City, are under the care and control of the State Fish and Wildlife Commission, which may make any extensions, additions, alterations or repairs to the same that become necessary. (2) The commission, or its duly…

(1) A person owning or operating an artificial obstruction may request alternative dispute resolution at any point in the process of determining fish passage requirements. (2) A person owning or operating an artificial obstruction may file a protest with the State Fish and Wildli…

(1) The State Fish and Wildlife Commission may maintain an action for an injunction to enjoin and restrain any person, municipal corporation, political subdivision or governmental agency of this state from violating any of the provisions of ORS 509.130, 509.140, 509.505, 509.585,…

The definitions prescribed by ORS 506.001 to 506.025 apply to this chapter. [1965 c.570 §138]

The “mouth” of any river emptying into the Pacific Ocean including the bay or tidal area formed by each such river is the seaward end of the jetty or jetties of each such river. If no jetties exist, the extension of the Pacific Ocean, shoreline high watermark across the river, ba…

It is unlawful to take striped bass for commercial purposes from any of the waters of this state. [1973 c.500 §2; 1975 c.416 §1]

It is unlawful to take salmon for commercial purposes from all waters inland from the mouth of all streams or tributaries thereof that empty into the Pacific Ocean south of the mouth of the Columbia River, except as provided in ORS 511.070. [1965 c.570 §143]

It shall be lawful for the State Fish and Wildlife Commission by rule to establish a season for commercial fishing for chum salmon and the incidental take of salmon in Tillamook Bay. Such season may not exceed 30 calendar days total length each year and may only be between Octobe…

It is unlawful in the Columbia River and its tributaries to: (1) Take salmon for commercial purposes east of its confluence with the Deschutes River. (2) Take food fish for commercial purposes in a closed area at and adjacent to the mouth of the Sandy River, Hood River and Deschu…

It is unlawful to take any food fish except shellfish for commercial purposes from the Rogue River and its tributaries and within a radius of one mile from the center of the mouth of the Rogue River. [1965 c.570 §148; 1995 c.269 §1]