Categories:
- Fish/Shellfish Research and Management
- Fish/Shellfish Research and Management -- Management and Conservation
Published: March 18, 2011
Pages: 18
Introduction
Introduction
The Washington Department of Game (WDG) entered into a 25 year cooperative agreement with the Olympic Peninsula Guides Association (OPGA) on June 17, 1986,
The OPGA was to draw broodstock each year from early returning Sol Duc wild steelhead, to be collected prior to February 1. Initially, returning marked females could also be used for broodstock. This was amended in 1998 to require that no more than 10% of the broodstocked females be returning Snider Creek-origin females, to comply with the proposed Wild Salmonid Policy. The target release was also reduced to 50,000 smolts during many years subsequent to 1998. The Snider program targeted early returning wild steelhead for broodstock on the assumption that returning adult Snider origin steelhead that escaped the fisheries would bolster the early portion of the wild steelhead return, which is typically subjected to higher exploitation rates than the later timed peak return of wild steelhead.
The Snider Creek cooperative agreement is due to expire in June of 2011. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has initiated a review of the program to determine the best course of action regarding continuing the program as is, modifying it, or discontinuing the agreement. Available data have been gathered and analyzed to evaluate the performance of the Snider Creek program in the context of Sol Duc wild winter steelhead, and their potential interactions. These data were made available to interested parties through various formats for independent analysis of the program. A list of pertinent questions was provided with the data suggesting avenues for investigation. This paper seeks to address those questions to the extent the data allow. Other considerations also bear on the decision, such as the mandates and guidance of the Statewide Steelhead Management Plan, adopted by the Fish and Wildlife Commission in 2008.
Questions posed relative to the consideration for renewal or discontinuation of this program, and which this paper will attempt to address using the Snider Creek and Sol Duc data, are:
Various assumptions must to be made to allow the data to address the questions posed. Many are commonly made when working with sampling data. Some are discussed in this paper, others are annotated within the data. The data are available upon request.
"to provide a maximum of 100,000 winter steelhead smolts of wild Soleduck River stock annually for release into the Soleduck River. These fish shall be reared to release size (larger than 10 fish / pound) on OPGA managed facilities and are to be used to produce additional harvestable adult steelhead for commercial and sport fishermen on the Quillayute River system. Returning adults from this project will be considered hatchery fish for the purposes of harvest management."
The OPGA was to draw broodstock each year from early returning Sol Duc wild steelhead, to be collected prior to February 1. Initially, returning marked females could also be used for broodstock. This was amended in 1998 to require that no more than 10% of the broodstocked females be returning Snider Creek-origin females, to comply with the proposed Wild Salmonid Policy. The target release was also reduced to 50,000 smolts during many years subsequent to 1998. The Snider program targeted early returning wild steelhead for broodstock on the assumption that returning adult Snider origin steelhead that escaped the fisheries would bolster the early portion of the wild steelhead return, which is typically subjected to higher exploitation rates than the later timed peak return of wild steelhead.
The Snider Creek cooperative agreement is due to expire in June of 2011. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has initiated a review of the program to determine the best course of action regarding continuing the program as is, modifying it, or discontinuing the agreement. Available data have been gathered and analyzed to evaluate the performance of the Snider Creek program in the context of Sol Duc wild winter steelhead, and their potential interactions. These data were made available to interested parties through various formats for independent analysis of the program. A list of pertinent questions was provided with the data suggesting avenues for investigation. This paper seeks to address those questions to the extent the data allow. Other considerations also bear on the decision, such as the mandates and guidance of the Statewide Steelhead Management Plan, adopted by the Fish and Wildlife Commission in 2008.
Questions posed relative to the consideration for renewal or discontinuation of this program, and which this paper will attempt to address using the Snider Creek and Sol Duc data, are:
- What is the contribution of Snider Creek production to the sport and tribal fisheries?
- Is the Snider Creek program producing early timed returns, as intended?
- What proportion of the early timed Sol Duc River natural steelhead return is being removed for broodstock?
- How does the production from the program compare to the production that could be expected had the broodstocked fish spawned naturally?
- What effect do Snider Creek steelhead mixing on the spawning grounds with naturally produced steelhead have on the genetics and productivity of the natural population?
Various assumptions must to be made to allow the data to address the questions posed. Many are commonly made when working with sampling data. Some are discussed in this paper, others are annotated within the data. The data are available upon request.