Wild Fish Conservancy continues to research the possibility of restoration for Deer Lagoon near Admiralty Inlet. In 2010, the WFC began studying the possibility of restoring Deer Lagoon to its more natural state, in order to recover what was once a highly-productive coastal lagoon. A number of options were considered and modeled, ranging from the installation of a new tide gate to the removal of the two existing dikes to allow for more complete tidal movement and flushing throughout the western lobe of the lagoon.

The studies demonstrated that removal of the dikes would be in the best interest of the juvenile salmon and other species that depend on nearshore habitat. However, the studies also demonstrated that the dikes could not be removed unless a new setback levee is constructed to protect the homes on Shore Avenue. This setback levee would be built to the north of those homes, and would be constructed using modern methods and materials — unlike the existing dikes, which were built in the early 1900s. The levee would be designed to protect homes and septic systems against flooding.

The alternative analysis was completed in December 2010, and, in 2011, the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife also assessed the alternatives and the feasibility of a new setback levee. The Department agreed that the removal of the existing dikes would be the best course of action for the environment, and conducted a very preliminary analysis of how the setback levee should be built.

Review the alternative analysis.

What Will Happen Next?

WFC will continue to pursue the lagoon restoration project, which will include more study and analysis of both the feasibility of dike removal and the construction of the new setback levee. In 2012 Micah Wait, project manager, intends to ask Island County Commissioners for their endorsement and approval of the next phase of study.

If they vote affirmatively, the Commissioners will endorse a comprehensive geotechnical assessment of Deer Lagoon. This assessment will include soil testing, a stability and settlement analysis, and the first phase of setback levee design. This geotechnical work would begin in late spring 2013 and be completed by the end of 2013.

If the assessment indicates that the setback levee could be constructed to deliver the level of protection needed for homes, WFC will hold a public meeting in 2013 to discuss those results and possible next steps. In addition to the studies already completed and the upcoming geotechnical assessment, an Environmental Impact Statement would need to be completed and permits obtained from a number of state and federal agencies before the restoration project could go forward.

Why Restoration at Deer Lagoon, and Who Owns It, Anyway?

75% of the salmon in Puget Sound pass by Whidbey Island on their way out to the Pacific Ocean. Along the way, they need to feed and rear in shallow estuaries. The western lobe of Deer Lagoon could be restored to provide 450 acres of this crucial habitat. Over the years, this salt marsh habitat has been destroyed. What looks like a freshwater “lake” behind the two parallel dikes is really a brackish environment with very low oxygen levels that kills fish. Island County purchased Deer Lagoon from a private party using federal grant dollars a number of years ago. One of the rationales for the federal grant was that the County would provide for salmon habitat restoration in the lagoon. This project affords Island County with the opportunity to follow through on that commitment.

Want To Talk About Deer Lagoon Restoration?

Micah Wait, project manager, is happy to talk to, or meet with, anyone who wants more information about the feasibility of restoring Deer Lagoon. You can call Micah at 206/953-9305, or email him at micah@wildfishconservancy.org. In addition to individual conversations, Micah is available for “living room meetings” with lagoon neighbors, provided that someone is willing to host this event. You can also contact Margaret Norton-Arnold, who is assisting Micah with public outreach on this project: 206/269-0229, or margaret@na-company.com.

For more information, visit the Deer Lagoon Restoration Assessment project page.

Simply donate to WFC through our profile page in The Seattle Foundation giving center, anytime on May 2, and a share of your gift will be matched!

The Seattle Foundations GiveBIG is a one-day, online charitable giving event designed to inspire people to give generously to Puget Sound-area nonprofit organizations. Last year during GiveBIG, $4.1 million was raised to support over 900 nonprofits in our community.

GiveBIG will grow your generosity in two important ways:

• Grow your gift! The Seattle Foundation and local businesses will match a share of every contribution made through The Seattle Foundation's online Giving Center between midnight and midnight on May 2 (Pacific Time).

• Win a Golden Ticket! During the day, you could be chosen at random to have your charity of choice--WFC--receive an additional $1,000 from GiveBIG's sponsors.

We encourage you to join all our supporters in giving big to WFC on May 2. Your gift will help as we work to preserve, protect, and restore wild fish populations and their critical habitats in the Northwest.

Remember to mark your calendar to donate to WFC between midnight and midnight on May 2 through our page in The Seattle Foundation giving center.

Thank you in advance for giving big. With the support and commitment of people like you, WFC can continue to conduct important research, advocate for better management, and restore the habitats of salmon, steelhead, char, and all other wild fish of the Pacific Northwest!

Help us make the most of GiveBIG!

Here are a few things you can do in addition to making a generous gift:

1. Mark your calendar today, so you don't forget to make a gift on May 2!
2. RSVP for GiveBIG on Facebook
3. Become our fan on Facebook & "share" our page with your friends
4. Rally your friends to support WFC on May 2!  Email, Facebook, Twitter (#GiveBIG), phone calls and even in-person conversations are great ways to spread the word and help us take advantage of GiveBIG.  Be sure to share the link to our profile.

Questions?

Checkout the GiveBIG FAQs or contact Trent by email or at 425-788-1167.

“March 12, 2012, Ottawa: The Government of Canada has been notified of a suspected  infectious salmon anemia finding by a private laboratory based on samples collected in British Columbia. These tests have not been confirmed by the National Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory System (NAAHLS) laboratory, which uses internationally recognized test methods. Infectious salmon anemia is not a human health concern.  According to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the virus must be isolated and identified before infectious salmon anemia can be confirmed. Given the way the original samples were preserved, virus isolation will not be possible. There are additional concerns with the sampling and testing methods used.” http://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/news-releases/salmon-disease/eng/1331593988662/1331594028592

It does not appear that we can rely on the B.C. government for factual information regarding ISAV; they continue to argue that “viral isolation” (i.e. isolating ISAV from cell culture) is required before they will admit that they have a positive result, despite the fact that several peer-reviewed journal articles have demonstrated that many strains of ISAV cannot be successfully cultured.

WFC staff and volunteers continue to sample salmon carcasses from western Washington for ISAV, where the likelihood of detection is high due to the proximity with British Columbia and the migration routes of salmon.  We have also begun sampling Atlantic salmon gills from supermarkets in western Washington. However, it is expensive to have these samples analyzed by PCR, the most sensitive assay; with the added expense of mailing these samples to the OIE labs, each sample costs roughly $50 to process.  Currently we have a backlog of roughly 80 samples that we need to have analyzed to determine if ISAV is present in salmon from western Washington; the total cost to have these samples analyzed is $4,000.  To raise money to have these samples tested, we are initiating the "Adopt-A-Sample" program. Please consider making a donation to help us continue this important work. To donate click on the “Donate” button below.

ISAV

Adopt-A-Sample Program

For more information on IHNV, see the USGS Western Fisheries Research Center webpage.

For more information on the detections of ISAV in Canada, go to Alexandra Morton’s website.

For more general ISA virus information, visit the Infectious Salmon Anemia virus section of our website.

Click here to subscribe to Wild Fish Runs, a quarterly electronic newsletter of Wild Fish Conservancy activities and initiatives.

Wild Fish Conservancy and The Humane Society of the United States File Suit to Stop Illegal Sea Lion Killing at Bonneville Dam

Wild Fish Conservancy, The Humane Society of the United States, and two individual plaintiffs filed suit in federal court, seeking to stop the National Marine Fisheries Service from once again authorizing Idaho, Washington and Oregon to kill sea lions at Bonneville Dam—as many as 460—over the next five years.

In November 2010, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overturned a prior attempt by the agency to authorize the killing of sea lions, finding that NMFS had not properly justified its decision and that salmon populations are at greater risk from overfishing and dam operations than they are from native sea lion predation. In 2010, when the sea lions consumed less than 2 percent of the salmon run, fisheries harvested 17 percent of these same fish. In 2011, sea lions consumed just over 1 percent of the salmon run at the same time that Oregon and Washington permitted fisheries in the Columbia River to harvest as much as 12 percent of the very same run.

“Federal law allows the killing of sea lions only in very limited circumstances, when the agency proves they are having a significant negative impact on salmon,” said Jonathan R. Lovvorn, senior vice president and chief counsel for animal protection litigation for The HSUS. “The National Marine Fisheries Service’s decision to kill hundreds of native marine mammals to reduce salmon losses by a couple of percentage points at best, while simultaneously authorizing much larger man-made sources of endangered salmon mortality, is both outrageous and patently illegal.”

While blaming sea lions for eating salmon, the states and NMFS have largely ignored major impediments that impede salmon recovery, including recommendations of government scientists to stop stocking non-native fish like bass and walleye for the purpose of recreational fishing, because these fish compete with and eat native salmon. Experts have warned that curbing the impact of these non-native fish is imperative for salmon recovery.

“NMFS continues to play a shell game with harvest numbers,” said Kurt Beardslee, executive director of Wild Fish Conservancy. “They refuse to honestly and scientifically consider the effects of harvest. More endangered wild salmon would return to spawn if NMFS would require selective harvest in all fisheries and require fishers to release wild fish. This could be done without reducing the overall harvest rates, without killing a single sea lion, and it could be done with a stroke of a pen.”

FACTS:
•    While birds, other fish (including non-native fish stocked by the states for the benefit of sport fishermen) and sea lions all kill salmon, the primary threats to salmon recovery are from loss of quality habitat and dams blocking their normal migratory routes up and down river. These impediments are compounded by harvest practices and hatchery operations that independent expert panels have highlighted as badly in need of reform.
•    The plan to shoot sea lions coincides with estimates that this spring’s Columbia River salmon run is likely to be the among the fourth largest since 1980 while, as of the date of lethal removal authorization, only two California sea lions had been seen at the dam, the fewest to date of any year since 2003 and the time each animal spends at the dam has been steadily declining over the past few years.
•    The major causes of salmon losses are:
- Dams: NMFS estimates the Federal Columbia River Power System kills 16.8 percent of  adult Snake River Basin Steelhead and 59.9 percent of juveniles.
- Hatcheries: In 2009, a Congressionally-mandated science panel found that current fish hatchery practices interfere with recovery and are in urgent need of reform.
- Fishing: The states annually authorize the incidental take of between 5.5 and 17 percent of the Upper Columbia spring Chinook and Upper Snake River spring/summer Chinook.  Additional salmon are killed in ocean fisheries. Employment of selective gear would permit wild, ESA-listed salmon and steelhead to be released unharmed when caught in the Columbia River fisheries that target abundant hatchery fish.  
- Other Predators: Bird predators consume millions of juvenile salmon in the Columbia River estuary each year. NMFS scientists also estimate that non-native walleye that are intentionally stocked by the states in the Columbia River eat up to 2 million juvenile salmon a year.

• Filed Complaint - United States District Court for the District of Columbia

PO Box 402 Duvall, WA 98019 · Tel 425-788-1167 · Fax 425-788-9634 info@wildfishconservancy.org

Contact: Kurt Beardslee, Wild Fish Conservancy, 206-310-9301 Richard Smith, Smith and Lowney, PLLC, 206-860-2124

For Immediate Release: Monday, February 28, 2012

Interim Agreement Protects Wild Elwha Steelhead From Hatchery Release

Non-native hatchery steelhead will not be released into the Elwha River and its tributaries this year, say four conservation groups that earlier this month filed suit against federal agencies and officials of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe (in their official capacities) for releases of hatchery fish into the Elwha. The groups announced today that they have reached an agreement with the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe (LEKT), where the four groups agreed not to seek a preliminary injunction against the LEKT’s release of hatchery-raised “Chambers Creek” steelhead, and the LEKT agreed not to release those fish this year. Normally, the fish would have likely been released sometime in April.

On February 9, 2012, the four groups, Wild Fish Conservancy, The Conservation Angler, the Federation of Fly Fishers Steelhead Committee, and the Wild Steelhead Coalition filed suit in the US District Court for Western Washington in Tacoma against the Olympic National Park, NOAA Fisheries Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and representatives of the LEKT, alleging violations of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The agreement on not releasing fish in 2012 was filed with the same Court, and was approved and signed by Judge Benjamin H. Settle on Monday, February 27, 2012.

Federal and state scientists and a recent review by the Hatchery Scientific Review Group (HSRG) all argue that releases of non-native steelhead could slow natural recovery of the Elwha, and these same concerns were expressed by the groups in their suit. The Fish Restoration Plan for the Elwha outlines releases of hatchery-raised steelhead and Chinook salmon.

Kurt Beardslee, Executive Director of Wild Fish Conservancy stated, “We hope to expand the agreement through future discussions with the Tribe and the agencies, so the Elwha’s wild fish have a better chance to recover and recolonize this magnificent river.”

“We are glad we could come to an agreement with the Tribe on this,” said Will Atlas, chair of the FFF Steelhead Committee, “and want to discuss the HSRG’s report and science with them on all of the planned hatchery releases and together develop a way forward.”

“We appreciate the Tribe’s flexibility on this matter,” said Rich Simms, president of the Wild Steelhead Coalition, “and we recognize their special relationship to the watershed. We want to work with them to both restore wild fish and meet their needs."

“This is a good first step,” said Pete Soverel, president of The Conservation Angler. “We hope to discuss all the issues and exchange ideas to make the Fish Restoration Plan a better one.”

In the agreement, neither side has admitted to any claims or assertions made by the other party. In addition, the agreement does not apply to any possible releases in future years.

The four conservation groups are represented by Brian Knutsen with the law firm of Smith and Lowney, PLLC, in Seattle.

• Signed Stipulation - U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington - Tacoma

Contact: Kurt Beardslee, Wild Fish Conservancy, 206-310-9301
Brian Knutsen, Smith and Lowney, PLLC, 503-287-4194

For Immediate Release: Thursday, February 9, 2012

Suit Filed To Block Elwha Hatchery Programs

Citing warnings from agency and independent scientists, four conservation groups filed suit today against several federal agencies and officials of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe (in their official capacities) for violating the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and ignoring the best available science and threatening the recovery of killer whales, Chinook salmon, and native steelhead by funding and operating fish hatchery programs in the Elwha River.  The groups agree with federal and state scientists and a recent review by the Hatchery Scientific Review Group (HSRG) that restoration of the lower Elwha River and recolonization of the pristine upper Elwha River above Elwha and Glines Canyon dams should prioritize recovery of wild fish.  The proposed reliance on large-scale hatchery releases undermines ecosystem recovery and violates the ESA.  Wild Fish Conservancy, The Conservation Angler, the Federation of Fly Fishers Steelhead Committee, and the Wild Steelhead Coalition have brought the suit against the Olympic National Park, NOAA Fisheries Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and representatives of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe.

The federal government is spending nearly $325 million for the dam removal project, opening nearly ninety miles of pristine riverine habitat in Olympic National Park, much of which is designated a wilderness area.  Rather than allowing wild salmonids to naturally colonize this pristine habitat, the agencies and the Tribe are going ahead with a plan that will release approximately four million juvenile hatchery salmonids annually throughout the recovery, including the continued release of non-native steelhead during a five-year fishing moratorium. The hatchery releases will be supported by a new fish hatchery on the Elwha River built with $16.4 million of Stimulus Act funds.  State and federal agency scientists pointed out that the current plan gives no measureable goals for wild fish recovery, provides no timetable for ceasing the hatchery production, and that ultimately, wild fish recovery is going to be hampered by the hatchery fish.  A review released this week by the independent Hatchery Scientific Review Group (HSRG), which was organized and funded by Congress, has echoed these concerns.

“While the Tribe played an essential role in removing the dams,” said Kurt Beardslee, Executive Director of Wild Fish Conservancy, “their intent to now plant millions of hatchery fish in disregard of the scientific evidence undermines salmon recovery in the Northwest and the goals of the ESA.   However you look at it, it’s a horrible precedent if left to stand.”

Will Atlas, chair of the FFF Steelhead Committee, stated “The science does not support planting of hatchery fish into this productive, pristine habitat.”

“This action is necessary,” said Rich Simms, president of the Wild Steelhead Coalition, “so that wild, not hatchery, steelhead will be restored to the Elwha and the Olympic Wilderness."

“Their plan is vague and uncertain about how and when these hatchery interventions will end,” said Pete Soverel, president of The Conservation Angler. “The Elwha deserves far better but will end up compromised like most of our other rivers if this plan is implemented.”

The groups believe that spending $325 million to open a wilderness watershed but then stocking it with hatchery fish is poor public policy and will likely provoke taxpayer skepticism toward salmon recovery and future efforts at dam removal.  The groups support the right of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe to harvest salmon and steelhead, but argue that intensive hatchery production throughout the recovery will reduce the capacity of wild salmon and steelhead to recolonize the newly available habitat, harming ESA listed Puget Sound steelhead, Chinook salmon, and southern resident killer whales that depend on Chinook salmon for their survival.

The groups are represented by Smith and Lowney, PLLC, of Seattle.

• Elwha Fish Hatchery Filed Complaint - U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington - Tacoma
  
• HSRG Review of the Elwha River Fish Restoration Plan and cover letter

If interested, please contact James Fletcher (james@wildfishconservancy.org) and provide a contact phone number.

Secondary contact: Todd Sandell (todd@wildfishconservancy.org)

We look forward to hearing from you!

Read what last year's Grays Harbor volunteers had to say:

“This project is an ideal way for individuals interested in the fisheries field to see for themselves what happens in the research stage while gaining valuable skills for future endeavors.”
“The daily research conducted by the team provided a wealth of opportunities [] from simple boating experience all the way through fish handling and the chance to meet individuals working in the fisheries field.” 
“ [During the course of the season] we had our fair share of windy and wet weather and early mornings, but honestly I found this to be one of the more rewarding aspects of the research.  []nothing beats the sense of accomplishment when you return home sore, tired, and sometimes muddy, after a full day on the water. I would highly suggest to anyone who is considering helping out to go for it!”   
-Molly, 2011 Intern [Molly was recently hired by the California Department of Fish and Game]

“It was great to work outside and be on the water, and every day was different. I learned so much about fish, estuarine habitats, working on boats, and field research. There were definitely some [physical] challenges to the job. It was pretty much guaranteed we’d get wet [and] I was definitely sore from climbing in and out of the boat all day, pulling heavy nets, and carrying buckets of water.”
“Living at the field house in Westport was really fun. We all cooked dinner together and hung out after the day’s work, sometimes walking to the beach, playing board games, going out, or just relaxing and watching a movie. I would definitely recommend volunteering with the project, especially if you like fish [and] enjoy working outdoors [].”
-Becky, 2011 volunteer

“Volunteering with Wild Fish Conservancy was a great introduction to the rigors of field work. In contrast to some positions, volunteers and interns aren't just given mundane tasks that don't further their education; we worked alongside the biologists gathering data. The biologists were all very informative. I learned a lot about salmon and other fish, as well as boats, research methods, other wildlife, knot tying, and how to cook a crab.”
-Elanor, 2011 Volunteer

“I found the biologists I worked with were always eager and willing to take the time to teach me how to identify the juvenile salmon fish species and other local fish species. I felt I was a part of the team and that my ideas and advice were taken in account.”
“This internship was one of the more enjoyable research experiences I have participated. It opened new opportunities for me and gave me a better understanding and respect for the biologists who dedicate their lives in this field.”
-Jess, 2011 Intern

The net result of all of this is that today’s Chinook salmon populations are significantly less complex and diverse in life history than they were a century ago. They are younger and smaller, and growth rates of the majority of populations have been changed in negative ways. Those populations are less likely to have the growth and maturity rates required to produce fish that are five-years-old and older that mature at large body sizes in excess of forty pounds.

Can this trend be reversed? Yes, but it will require changes in harvest rates and practices, and unless selective fishing methods that harvest only hatchery fish are mandated, it will also require reductions in hatchery releases of Chinook and other salmon species. Ocean harvest rates will need to continue to be reduced and fisheries that directly or indirectly encounter immature Chinook, particularly troll fisheries, must either be terminated or become selective. Fisheries that select for larger Chinook, particularly gillnet fisheries, must also be eliminated or become selective. Then the proportionately few remaining older, larger, natural-origin Chinook will return to spawn in the immediate future and become the foundation for the slower, longer process of recovering the proportions of five-year-old and older age classes that were typical of most historic Chinook salmon populations.

This perspective is especially relevant to the recovery of Elwha River Chinook following the removal of the Elwha dams. The legendary large body size of Elwha Chinook was probably essential to the ability of the population to colonize the middle and upper Elwha basins where they were required to pass through several rough canyon reaches and make use of large spawning substrates in the deep, fast waters of the upper basin. The science on how populations respond to harvest indicates that the large-bodied Elwha Chinook will not be restored simply through dam removal if no other measures are taken. Restoring the Elwha Chinook probably requires a closer examination of how harvest has and will continue to affect the stock.

References
McDonald, M. 1894. The salmon fisheries of the Columbia River Basin. Report of Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries.

Rich, W.H. 1940. Seasonal variation in weight of Columbia River Chinook salmon. Department of Research, Fish Commission of the State of Oregon, Contribution No. 5.

Ricker, W.E. 1981. Changes in the average size and average age of Pacific salmon. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences v.38, pp.1636-1656.

Yoshiyama, R.M., F.W. Fisher, and P.B. Moyle. 1998. Historical abundance and decline of Chinook salmon in the Central Valley region of California. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, v.18: 487-521.

Article by Nick Gayeski, Aquatic Ecologist, Wild Fish Conservancy.

Originally published in the 2011 Wild Fish Journal

Historically, indigenous people of the northeastern Pacific fished for salmon when the fish returned to their natal rivers. Since they fished in or near the river, the impact of the fishery was confined to the river. If a river was over-harvested the local community would suffer the consequences when the next generation of salmon returned.

European settlers arrived and brought new technologies that helped fishermen expand how and where they could fish. Sail power, then gas and diesel engines and factory canneries forever changed the ability to exploit this rich new resource. Fishers were no longer confined to fishing the rivers near their communities. In the rich, new, ocean fishing grounds, fishers caught salmon that originated from many distant rivers. This shift to an ocean fishery represents the start of the mixed-stock fishery and the dilemma it poses for us and the international managers1 that are now in charge of the fishery.

At the beginning of this new fishery almost all salmon populations were healthy, which reduced the effect of fishing on any individual stock. Today, however, stocks from up and down the coast vary dramatically as to their health. While some are healthy and suitable for harvest, other stocks may be struggling to survive, recognized as a stock of special concern, or even protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Currently, the majority of harvested salmon are caught in this mixed-stock fishery, far from their rivers of origin. The pie charts in Figure 1 illustrate where Chinook are caught in relation to where they originate. It doesn’t take long before the dilemma becomes obvious. In this environment where healthy and weak stocks are co-mingled, the fisheries should be designed and implemented to protect the weakest stocks while harvesting the most abundant. But as hard as managers may try, they can’t do it. Even with highly sophisticated modeling and forecast predictions, these tools are just too dull to meet the needs of today’s recovery efforts, if harvest rates are to be maintained.

For example, imagine the Elwha River. Soon the dams will be gone, opening up roughly seventy miles of excellent habitat within the Olympic National Park, habitat just waiting to be re-colonized. But of the Elwha Chinook that are caught in the ocean fishery, 80% of them are harvested in the West Coast Vancouver Island fishery, where fishers may be targeting the more abundant Fraser River and Columbia River Chinook. This ocean fishery management strategy, as it exists today, cannot protect returning Elwha Chinook in this co-mingled fishery without significantly reducing the harvest of the healthiest stocks. The end result is that Canada’s fishery is harming Washington’s recovery.

Another example can be illustrated by the Chinook of the west coast of Vancouver Island. There, pristine old-growth rivers where wild Chinook can thrive still exist, yet some of these rivers have as little as 1% of the Chinook they did fifty years ago. These rivers cannot afford any harvest and may never recover without managers giving priority to their recovery. That can only be done on an individual basis, but unfortunately, hundreds of miles to the north, Alaska is busy harvesting Chinook to the degree that of all of the West Coast Vancouver Island Chinook landed in the ocean fishery, 68% are caught in Alaska. Some are very likely remnants of the highly depressed stocks.

Today’s fishery management is far more precise than it was even twenty years ago, but it still lacks the ability to manage at a scale that is necessary to recover individual salmon and steelhead stocks. Fisheries management needs to change, and ending the ocean Chinook fishery should be considered. This fishery impacts Chinook the most because of their complex life history. Living the longest, Chinook are exposed to the effects of this fishery for a long period of time. Closing the ocean Chinook fishery, while allowing fishing to take place at the mouths of respective rivers, would allow for more precise management with the greatest amount of benefit to the resource and the least amount of disruption to the overall fishery. Moving harvest to the local level, coupled with the implementation of selective fishing techniques which allow the safe release of wild fish, will maximize the harvest of hatchery fish while allowing wild fish the opportunity to return to their rivers of origin.

Note that Figure 1 does not include pie charts for Puget Sound, Columbia River (in-river fisheries), Oregon state waters, and California waters. Data for those areas were not readily available, sufficiently comprehensive, or comparable to the available data at the time these analyses were conducted. Wild Fish Conservancy intends to publish a comprehensive report on Pacific salmon harvest in 2012.

Endnotes
1-The Pacific Salmon Commission, made up of representatives from Canada and the US, manages the harvest of Chinook salmon through the Pacific Salmon Treaty.
2-The data used in Figure 1 are model-estimated catches provided by Dr. Rishi Sharma, U.S. Co-Chair of the Chinook Technical Committee of the Pacific Salmon Commission. The model relies on spawner escapement data over brood years for all stocks, as well as coded-wire tag recoveries from catch areas and spawning grounds. The model is generally considered to provide highly accurate estimates of the proportions of the different stocks making up the catch in each of the fisheries. We are indebted to Dr. Sharma for providing the data. Wild Fish Conservancy is solely responsible for the conclusions drawn from the data.

Article by Kurt Beardslee, Executive Director, Wild Fish Conservancy.

Originally published in the 2011 Wild Fish Journal

A great article from Ted Williams on the Elwha Fish Recovery plan and the threat it poses to wild fish in the basin. Check out the article, How to Kill a Reborn River, in the latest issue of Fly Rod and Reel magazine. WFC Executive Director, Kurt Beardslee and past WFC Board President, Bill McMillan were both interviewed for the article. Below are a few paragraphs:

...“A colossal failure” is how Kurt Beardslee, director of the Wild Fish Conservancy, describes the saturation bombing of Northwest rivers with hatchery fish. “The [state, federal and tribal] hatchery bureaucracy continues to make the same mistakes over and over and over again, each time expecting a different result,” he says. “That’s one definition of insanity.”...

...Bill McMillan, a field biologist recently retired from the Wild Fish Conservancy, has tracked smolt-to-adult returns for hatchery salmon and steelhead and then computed cost per harvested fish. On the North Fork of Washington’s Nooksack River, the Kendall Creek Hatchery spends $1,468 for each harvested Chambers Creek steelhead. The public gets a better deal on the Skagit, where the Marblemount Hatchery spends $1,032 per harvested Chambers Creek steelhead. McMillan calls hatchery salmonids in Northwest rivers a “toxin,” equating them with “headwater gold mines.” And he points out that there’s more working against wild fish than just hatchery-caused disease, competition, genetic degradation and increased harvest. We’ve also created a predator explosion by packing fresh and salt water with physically impaired, surface-oriented idiot fish.

The Elwha’s Fish Recovery Plan talks about “adaptive management” best defined as “plan, implement, check, adjust.” But McMillan offers this: “Adaptive management has been boilerplate language in every plan I’ve looked at in the last 15 years, and I don’t know of a single place it has occurred—that is, where a hatchery program has been taken out or even reduced.” Moreover, the “adaptive management” language in the plan is alarming. It says that if runs recover quickly, hatchery releases will be ramped down. But hatchery releases will ensure that wild runs don’t recover quickly. It’s like the old, equally discredited prescription for anemia—leeches...

Click here to subscribe to Wild Fish Runs, a quarterly electronic newsletter of Wild Fish Conservancy activities and initiatives.

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, November 30, 2011

BC Cover-up Questions the Dual Mandate of U.S. and Canadian Salmon Management

Yesterday a leaked manuscript revealed that the Infectious Salmon Anemia Virus (ISAv) was detected in B.C. as early as 2004, and that Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada personnel refused to release the information. This comes just a month after Canadian officials aggressively denied that the virus was present in B.C. and trumpeted their rigorous efforts to detect it and protect native salmon. Last week the Canadian government announced a $1 million grant to the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance for international advertising.

The detection of ISAv would not have occurred without the efforts of independent scientists Drs. Alexandra Morton and Rick Rutledge, and the Salmon are Sacred volunteer group in B.C., who collected the samples from juvenile sockeye salmon and adult Chinook, coho and chum salmon that were positive. This highlights the need for a joint U.S. – Canadian task force that includes independent, non-government scientists to address the problem. “The DFO has a split mandate, one that includes the promotion of aquaculture and which has interfered with their responsibility to protect wild salmon,” said Kurt Beardslee, Executive Director of Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC). “Unfortunately, we have a similar situation in the U.S. - NOAA also has a pro-aquaculture division that works at odds with the scientists studying salmon conservation. Until this split mandate is removed, oversight cannot be left solely to government.”

The leaked manuscript reported finding ISAv in several species of Pacific salmon from the Fraser River north through SE Alaska up to the Bering Sea. Dr. Todd Sandell, a disease ecologist at the WFC, noted that “Given the proximity of the Fraser River to the border, it is a near certainty that ISAv will also be found in Washington state.” WFC began collecting samples for ISAv testing from the Skagit River in November, but so far U.S. state and federal agencies have not taken action.

ISAv has devastated Atlantic salmon aquaculture across the North Atlantic, but wild salmon populations in those areas are minute in comparison with the remaining wild salmon in the Pacific Northwest. In Chile, where ISAv has also been hugely problematic, there are no wild salmon as salmon are not native to South America. This makes the situation facing the Pacific Northwest unique, and one that must be handled with great caution. Since ISAv is known to increase its virulence in the high density conditions found in aquaculture and hatcheries, the safest remedy is to move aquaculture facilities onto land, where escape can be prevented and the effluent, which may contain pathogens, can be sterilized.

A typical response of the salmon aquaculture industry is to highlight the need for aquaculture to “feed the world” in the face of a growing human population, in effect arguing that ocean net pens are necessary regardless of the costs. However, raising a carnivorous species like salmon is not ecologically defensible; salmon must be fed 5-6 lbs. of other fish, typically herring, anchovy or other baitfish, to add one pound of weight. Capturing the baitfish needed to feed farmed salmon also reduces the amount of food available for wild fish. In contrast, fish species that feed on lower trophic levels, like plankton, are a much more efficient solution and are widely grown globally.

Wild Fish Conservancy is a non-profit organization dedicated to the recovery and conservation of the Northwest region’s wild-fish ecosystems, with over 2,500 members. Wild Fish Conservancy’s staff of over 20 professional scientists, advocates, and educators works to promote technically and socially responsible habitat, hatchery, and harvest management to better sustain the region’s wild fish heritage. For more information, visit us at wildfishconservancy.org or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/wildfishconservancy.

• Draft Manuscript w/ corresponding emails - Asymptomatic infectious salmon anaemia in juvenile Oncorhychus species from the North West Pacific Ocean

A big thanks to everyone who made this year's Wild Fish Soir

WFC members and supporters began the festive evening with a champagne reception and silent auction in the Chateau Ste Michelle’s Barrel Room. Lively and generous bidding characterized the silent auction which featured items from Filson, Lost River Winery, Redington, Sage, X RODZ, Patagonia, PCC Natural Markets, FishEyeGuy Photography, and Cascade Fly Fishing Adventures, just to name a few.

After the silent auction, Soirée guests adjourned to the main dining room and enjoyed an exquisite multi-course gourmet dinner complete with wine pairings. Following dinner, auctioneer David Silverman led the competitive and spirited live auction, and keynote speaker, Bruce Brown gave a heartfelt speech that united the festive crowd.

This year Sweetwater Travel donated a steelhead trip to the Suskeena Lodge on the Sustut River in British Columbia, and long-time supporters Myrna and Michael Darland of Southern Chile Expeditions donated a trip to Yan Kee Way Lodge in the Chilean Patagonia. Together, both trips raised $12,000 for wild fish conservation. Other highlights of the live auction included: guided fishing trips with JD Love, Bill McMillan, Arch Anglers, Spot Tail Guides and Brian O'Keefe; a custom-made spey rod with a WFC commemorative inscription from C.F. Burkheimer; a spey outfit from Deschutes Angler; and a striking traditional Atlantic salmon fly, “Silver Wilkinson,” hand tied by master tier Harry Lemire and matted and framed by Steve Brocco.

The tens of thousands of dollars raised in this one evening will support Wild Fish Conservancy programs which seek to preserve, protect, and restore the region's wild fish. Wild Fish Conservancy wishes to extend its sincere appreciation for the support and commitment demonstrated by all of the donors, volunteers, and attendees who made the 2011 Soirée a tremendous success. See you next year!

Complete List of 20th Annual Wild Fish Soiree & Benefit Auction Donors