Harvest Evaluation Project 2017

The Tribes completed the 2018 Chinook Salmon Harvest Management Program – data collection, data analysis, and initiation of the Annual Report. Redd counts and carcass surveys completed by Tribal staff, an online spawning ground survey database managed by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and communication with other Tribal and IDFG biologists was used to develop escapement estimates for the 2018 harvest report. As in many previous years, Tribal staff observed a similar level of Tribal membership participation in the fishery, although proportionately lower due to significantly fewer returning adult salmon to Idaho. Catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) obtained through roving creel surveys throughout multiple FMAs provided highly accurate and precise estimates of Tribal Chinook salmon harvest in productive areas in the basin. Other fishery management areas were allocated less monitoring effort due to inaccessibility, limited pressure, and/or low numbers of returning adults. The Tribes preliminary harvest estimate is for 518 Chinook salmon adults, 102 natural and 416 hatchery-origin. Highest observed effort occurred in Bear Valley Creek, South Fork Salmon River, and the Upper Salmon River Mainstem. By generating total escapement through redd counts (abundance) and carcass surveys (diversity; Broodyear age analyses), preliminary analyses indicate the Tribes did not exceed any initial or post-season harvest rates for any tributaries identified in our 2018 Fishery Implementation Plans submitted to NOAA-Fisheries. The final harvest management report will be submitted to NOAA Fisheries by 15 March 2019. Staff will continue to improve coordination, and abundance and harvest estimates with a fully funded project and support from NOAA Fisheries.

The Tribes will report their harvest estimates to NOAA-Fisheries and relevant co-managers on a weekly basis through the recently developed Snake Basin Adult Coordination Meetings. Once fishery guidelines or total impacts are achieved for an individual fishery, such fishery will be curtailed unless information suggests forecasts under-predicted escapement or an adjusted in-season forecast is made by TAC. Conversely, should information suggest pre-season forecasts over-estimate escapement, harvest guidelines will be reduced.