From July 3 onwards, changes have been introduced in rules for salmon fishing on the Columbia River upstream to the Oregon-Washington border in order to better the plight of summer chinook while the water is unusually warm.

The new rule does not allow anglers to catch more than summer chinook while the water is unusually warm, regardless of marks of a hatchery fish. The catch limit previously was two adult chinook a day, but anglers were required to release those not marked as a hatchery fish by a missing adipose fin.

Ron Roler, Columbia River policy coordinator for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said survival rates for released fish can be adversely affected by rise in water temperature in the Columbia River. The water temperature has already crossed the mark of 70 degrees there.

"With the prospect of more hot days to come, we want anglers to keep the first chinook they catch and move on to the other fishing opportunities available in the river", said Ron Roler, Columbia River policy coordinator for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The second highest record has been set for returns of both summer chinook and sockeye salmon despite warm water conditions. As per the new catch limit, anglers can take six salmon or steelhead per day, including two adult salmon, two adult hatchery steelhead or one of each but only one adult chinook salmon.

The overall daily limit also involves Chinook jacks, but anglers are allowed to retain both marked and unmarked fish.