Puget Sound fishes Species Fisheries Contamination

Transcription

1 Puget Sound fishes Species Fisheries Contamination

2 Fishes of PS: overview 220+ species of fish 75 observed on a regular basis All 3 feeding modes observed omnivore, carnivore and herbivore Major regions (with their own fish assemblages) Staghorn sculpin Cabezon 35 species of sculpin found in Puget Sound (16% of PS fish species) including padded, scalyhead, smoothhead, Puget Sound, bonehead, rosylip, silverspotted, roughback, sharpnose, calico, mosshead, spinyhead, buffalo, soft, red Irish lord, brown Irish lord, northern, dusky, threadfin, spotfin, longfin, Pacific staghorn, blackfin, great, sailfin, tidepool, saddleback, fluffy, tadpole, slim, darter, grunt, cabezon, manacled, rough spine, and the ribbed sculpin.

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4 Fish families in Puget Sound Angel sharks (Squatinidae) Anchovies (Engraulidae) Barracudas (Sphyraenidae) Brotulas (Ophidiidae) Barracudinas (Paralepidae) Cat sharks (Scyliorhinidae ) Butterfishes (Stromateidae ) Clingfishes (Gobiesocidae) Chimaeras (Chimaeridae) Dogfish sharks (Squalidae) Codfishes (Gadidae) Graveldivers (Scytalinidae) Drums (Sciaenidae) Herrings (Clupeidae) Gunnels (Pholidae) Lampreys (Petromyzbntidae) Killifishes (Cyprinodontidae) Lanternfishes (Myctophidae) Lancetfishes (Alepisauridae) Lumpfishes and snailfishes (Cyclopteridae) Lefteye flounders (Bothidae) Pipefishes (Syngnathidae) Mackerels and tunas (Scombridae) Pomfrets (Bramidae) Poachers (Agonidae) Quillfishes (Ptilichthyidae) Pricklebacks (Stichaeidae) Righteye flounders (Pleuronectidae) Requiem sharks (Carcharhinidae) Ronquils (Bathymasteridae) Rockfishes (Scorpaenidae) Salmons and trouts (Salmonidae) Sablefishes (Anoplopomatidae) Sauries (Scomberesocidae) Sand lances (Ammodytidae) Skates (Rajidae) Sculpins (Cottidae) Snipe eels (Nemichthyidae) Smelts (Osmeridae) Sturgeons (Acipenseridae) Sticklebacks (Gasterosteidae) Temperate basses (Percichthyidae) Surfperches (Embiotocidae) Toadfishes (Batrachoididae) Thresher h sharks (Alopiidae) Wrymouths (Cryptacanthodidae) th Wolffishes (Anarhichadidae) For a full list, visit:

5 Ugly fishes of PS

6 Flat fishes of PS

7 Codfishes of PS

8 Oddfishes of PS

9 Sharks of PS Great White (not official, but a fisherman spotted one in 2002)

10 Commercial Fisheries of PS Large scale changes in last century Halibut fishery lasted <25yrs, ending in (Halibut are finally returning in reasonable numbers after nearly 100 y.) Other species fished, the last major one being the Cod. Today, almost no substantial commercial fishing in PS except for salmon and shellfish

11 History of fisheries catch in PS Cod, herring and dogfish peaked in late 70 s Pollock and then hake (for fish sticks) Rockfish and lingcod take peaked in 1980s Recent decreases in lingcod and rockfish abundance

12 Non-tribal commercial fishery statistics from WA State (DFW Report, 2008) 9.3 million 12 million 1 million 41 million 1 million 65 million Within Puget Sound, shellfish and salmon are the only serious commercial fisheries

13 Changes in rockfish catch

14 Size reduction and reproductive potential

15 Lousy swim bladders Copper rockfish with distended eyes and swim bladder Swim bladder does not adjust well to rapid changes in pressure

16 Flat fishes of PS: English hsole Lives in sediments and is affected by pollutants Carnivore eats small fish, amphipods, molluscs, crustaceans and polychaetes 2 nd most important flatfish caught along West coast 22 yr lifespan, purported to grow faster in PS than anywhere else Studies from 1980 s showed that ES have the highest contaminant load of any fish in PS

17 Flat fishes of PS 100 scale) mg/kg (log PCB (ug/kg) DDT TBT Mercury(mg/kg) Copper Arsenic Lead PSAMP monitors ES on a regular basis Most ES have health problems including liver lesions I caught and ate many ES from Commencement Bay as a child. I did not know what I was doing.

18 Herring of PS Abundant, schooling planktivore Important component of the PS food web - abundant and common component of diets of PS birds, mammals, and other fishes Spawning aggregations near shore. Recent declines could be linked to coastal development Fishery off the coast for roe Schools of spawning fish aggregate each year at same locations (e.g., Cherry Pt.) mg /kg (log sca ale) PCB (ug/ g/kg) Pacific Herring 1999 PSAMP DDT TBT Mercury(mg/ g/kg) Copper Arsenic Lead

19 Rockfishes of PS demersal, rocky-reef dwellers Brown consume a wide variety of benthic, demersal & pelagic fishes & invertebrates. widely distributed throughout Puget Sound and are predominantly nonmigratory, contaminants found in rockfish tissues reflect local conditions quillback and yelloweye rockfish attaining ages of 60 and 90 years, they may bioaccumulate higher concentrations of contaminants than other species.

20 Rockfishes of PS Copper Despite long life, accumulations less than for English Sole. Females off-load contaminants through eggs. Urban rockfish contain higher loads than country rockfish, traveling discouraged scale) mg/kg (log All Rockfish 1999 PSAMP ND PCB (ug/kg) DDT TBT Mercury(mg/kg) Copper Arsenic Lead

21 Salmon of PS Popular in PNW culture worshipped and revered by local Native Americans 7 salmonids currently found in Puget Sound: Chinook Chum Coho Pink Sockeye Steelhead Coastal Cutthroat

22 Estuaries link habitats for growth and reproduction. Juveniles are reared in estuaries. semelparous: means one reproduction

23 Salmon In 1991, the Endangered Species Committee of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) reviewed PNW stocks: >75% of fpacific salmon populations lti were severely depleted ltd and at risk of extinction; 18 of 214 stocks appear to be extinct; 101 of 214 were found to be at high risk of extinction; Salmon had disappeared from more than 40% of their historic range; Salmon stock health worsens from N to S, and with urbanization or damming; The healthiest stocks were in Alaska and northern British Columbia.

24 Status of Puget Sound salmon stocks WA State Salmon and Steelhead Stock Inventory (SASSI) Salmon stocks in Puget Sound continue to suffer

25 Salmon and the 4(d) rule Threatened status of 14 salmon and steelhead runs in PNW Restricts taking of salmon (killing, shooting, harmi ng, harassing) Also restricts development around critical habitat (MRCI provision)

26 Salmon issues in PS MAJOR FACTORS for salmon decline Agriculture: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 18, 21, 22 Fishing: 16, 19 Dams: 9, 11, 18 Forestry: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 21, 22 Drought: 9, 10 Ub Urbanization: 1, 3, 5-11, 21, 22 POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT FACTORS * Gravel Harvest: 6 Hatchery Fish Interference: 19, 20 Irrigation: 9, 12 Poor Ocean Conditions: 13, 14, 15, 16 Bycatch Mortality: 16, 19 Illegal Fishing: 16, 19 (salmon killed during harvest of other fish) MINOR FACTORS Bird Predation: 17 Marine Mammal Predation: 16, 17 Components Of The Factors Causing Salmon Decline 1. Streamside Vegetation and Functions 13. Reduced Upwelling 2. Pesticide Exposure 14. Altered Ocean Currents and Flow 3. Industrial Pollutants t Exposure 15. Decreased Food Abundance 4. Increased Amount Of Sediment In Streams 16. Reduced Numbers of Adults 5. Stream Straightening and Channelizing Reaching Their Spawning Grounds 6. Habitat Destruction 17. Numbers of Young Making It To Sea 7. #OfL Large Logs In Streams 18. Barriers Preventing Salmon From & Loss of Deep Pools and Channel Form Migrating Upstream or Downstream 8. Filling of The Side Channels of Streams 19. Loss of Genetic Integrity and Diversity 9. Reduced Fresh Water Flow In Rivers 20. Competition B/t Hatchery & Wild Fish 10. Exposure to Abnormal Temperatures 21. Forest Fragmentation 11. Habitat Area Loss 22. Estuary Degradation 12. Lack of Screening of Water Diversion Canals to Keep Fish Out

27 Salmon issues in PS US-Canadian bickering i Salmon tend to migrate north for feeding. Canadians catch Puget Sound salmon Alaskans catch Canadian salmon

28 1999 NW Pacific Treaty Rules (US/Canada) Annual salmon fisheries i based on theabundance of salmon Establishes funds to pay py for commercial salmon fleet reduction & improve science Long-term agreements - 10 years for chinook, coho & chum; 12 years for sockeye & pink salmon Stresses importance of Stresses importance of habitat protection and restoration

29 Who Owns the fishes of PS? 1974: George Boldt gives 1/2 the fish to Native Americans

30 Lummi Island Sockeye reef netting Selective for sockeye y Low by-catch and low mortality rates

31 Salmon Hatcheries WA has the largest network of hatcheries in the world: 24 complexes >90 rearing facilities hatcheries produce 75% of all coho and chinook 88% of all steelhead harvested statewide. ~700,000 adult fish (all species) return to hatcheries each year. More than 300,000,000 eggs (all species) are collected annually. In 1995: 201,000, salmon and 8,500, steelhead were released. Problems: genetic diversity, success of hatchery fish in the wild, etc. In recent years, hatcheries also have taken on a new role: helping recover and conserve natural salmon.

32 2007 Salmon recovery plan Focuses on Riparian and coastal habitat protection Includes changes in hatchery management Advocates cleanup of pollutants in Puget Sound