Columbia River Salmon Harvest Sport and Commercial Sharing Facts and Relationships Prepared by Robert Sudar Commercial Advisor Columbia River Fisheries Management Work Group
Economic Value of Fish & Wildlife in Washington Annual Economic Activity Associated Jobs Hunting $313 million 5,595 jobs Sport Fishing $1.1 billion 14,655 jobs Wildlife Watching $1.5 billion 26,000 jobs Commercial harvest/wholesale $1.4 billion 14,000 jobs Total $4.5 billion 60,250 jobs (From WDF&W website, data from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, Association of Fish &Wildlife Agencies, American Sportfishers Association) Message: Both sport and commercial fishing are big business in Washington. The commercial fishery on the Columbia is a small but very integral component of the statewide commercial fishing industry and a primary source of local Chinook, Coho and Sturgeon for retail markets and restaurants throughout the Northwest.
Use of General Fund and Wildlife Fund in WDF&W Fisheries Management Message: Federal and local utility mitigation fees, which all citizens contribute to, pays for ALL salmon production on the Columbia. General Fund money also supports salmon production in Washington. Sport license fees, via the Wildlife Fund, pay for game fish production: steelhead and trout. General Fund contributions for all fisheries exceed Wildlife Fund contributions.
Year Sport/Comm Spring Harvest + Morts Mainstem below Bonn., 2006 2011 Comm Catch Comm Morts Sport Catch Sport Morts Dam Morts 2006 4389 139 8205 83 6252 2007 2950 52 7819 64 2424 2008 5952 149 22,170 311 2380 2009 4168 92 17,207 227 3408 2010 9041 152 32,678 317 2208 2011 4539 180 14,002 182 4254 Message: Both sport and commercial fisheries do a good job of harvesting significant numbers of hatchery spring Chinook while avoiding ESA listed wild upriver spring Chinook.
Sport/Comm Spring Chinook Sharing Ratios, Mainstem, 2006 2011 Message: The sport fishery accounts for 70 80% of the mainstem harvest below Bonneville dam there is already a sport priority for spring Chinook on the Columbia.
Sport/Comm Spring Chinook Sharing Mainstem +Tribs+Select, 2006 2011 Message: When tributary and Select harvests are added in, an even greater share of spring Chinook harvest is given to the sport fishery a clear sport priority is already in place.
Change in Hatchery Spring Chinook Passage at Bonneville With No Mainstem Commercial Harvest Message: Staff calculations show that hatchery spring Chinook passage at Bonneville will actually increase if the commercial impacts are given to the sport fishery. Overall harvest will actually decrease and more hatchery Chinook will reach the spawning grounds.
Spring Chinook Mainstem Harvest of Upriver Hatchery Chinook as Commercial Quota is transferred to Sport Fishery Message: The pre update sport season for spring Chinook will only grow by 2 3 days if they get the commercial quota, and their post update season will not lengthen, resulting in more hatchery Chinook allowed to pass upriver to the spawning grounds.
WA Sport Salmon Card Sales vs. Washington Population, 2000 2008 Message: While the Washington population has continued to grow, sport salmon license sales have been trending downward; fewer citizens are sportfishing for salmon.
Summer Chinook angler trips, weekends, 2010(full season), 2011 (open until 7/17), 2012(open until 7/1) Message: During summer season, angler participation pattern is consistent regardless of whether it s s open for Chinook during the whole timeframe. Interest follows Chinook run timing more than whether it s s open, with a baseline level of steelhead fishermen.
Sport Angler Trips Per Season 2000 2011 Message: Total angler trips on the Columbia spring, summer, Buoy 10 and fall mainstem are no greater now than ten years ago. There is no indication of the potential for angler trips to increase significantly.
Sport vs Comm, Days Open March October below Bonneville Dam, 2006, 2008, 2011 Message: Sport fishing days per year have increased while commercial openings have decreased. The 2008 sport dip was caused by a spring Chinook return below prediction which resulted in no fishing after the run update in May.
Commercial Harvest Value, Now and with Enhanced Select Harvest Message: The green line is total commercial value now. The lavender line is the harvest value of proposed Select releases plus present Select harvest value. The difference is a potential $1 1.25 million shortfall for the commercial industry under the Kitzhaber Plan.
Commercial Harvest Value, Now and With Revised Select Harvest (1.9M Coho smolts vs. 4.7M) Message: With the reduction in proposed Coho smolt releases in the select areas, the shortfall in harvest value for the commercial fleet will be even greater, resulting in an even larger economic reduction under the Kitzhaber plan.
Conservation in Columbia Salmon Harvest Comparing Impacts on Non Target Stocks in 2010 Message: Comparing ratios of target versus non target or protected stocks in sport and commercial fisheries on the Columbia, gillnet fisheries consistently have some of the very best ratios a clear indication of their selectivity and compatibility with conservation goals.
Kitzhaber Plan vs Reality on the River Conservation The plan says that gillnets are not compatible with conservation based management. In reality, the gillnet harvest stays within its assigned quotas of ESA fish better than the lower river sport fishery does. The gillnet fishery meets the conservation guidelines established by NMFS in approving the fishery each year. Target stock vs. protected stock ratios in the gillnet fishery are often as good, or better, than in the sport fishery.
Kitzhaber Plan vs Reality on the River Enhanced Off Channel Production The plan states that an enhanced off channel fishery will improve the economics of the commercial fishery. The majority of the value in the mainstem commercial harvest is high value Chinook. Proposed off channel enhancements will focus on Coho, which are lower value. A large increase in Coho harvest over a short return window will drive down prices. Proposed Chinook releases will be only slightly higher than past releases.
Kitzhaber Plan vs Reality on the River Sport Priority Would Increase Economic Value The plan says shifting impacts to the sport fishery will increase opportunity and economic return. Overall angler participation hasn t increased in the last ten years, despite an increase in the general population. This correlates with relatively flat license sales over the same period. Part or all of the Columbia is open for sport fishing almost year round now. Staff has estimated in previous discussions that the entire commercial quota might add 2 3 days, at most, to the April spring Chinook sport fishery.
Facts for 2012 The Columbia was open for sport fishing somewhere in the mainstem continuously for salmon and/or steelhead between January 1 st and September 15 th, except for 4/23 6/15, for a total of 205 days. Between January 1 st and September 15 th, the commercial fleet had 12 openings for salmon for a total of 107 hours. In that limited time, the commercial fleet caught 31,441 Chinook in the mainstem, worth $1.75 million just in ex vessel value to lower Columbia communities. It also equates to 358,128# of fillets in the local marketplace, worth over $7 million in direct sales or $21.5 million in restaurant sales. It also can be viewed as 716,256 meals to NW families. It should also be noted that this harvest carries an incredibly small carbon footprint for a substantial contribution to the production of local food.
Conclusions The commercial gillnet fishery consistently meets all state and federal harvest guidelines imposed upon it The sport fishery is already getting the seasons they are requesting in most years. The Columbia, or a major portion, is open for sport fishing almost year round now. Flat license sales and angler trips, despite increased fishing opportunities, suggest there will be no surge in new sport interest if commercial quotas are reallocated just more fish for the same fishermen. Increased smolt production in the Select areas will not replace lost income from the mainstem.
Mass of fishing tackle removed from Toutle River October 2012