Skokomish Salmon Harvest Management

Funding provided support for one FTE for the Tribes finfish harvest management biologist. Primary tasks related to pre-season harvest planning and in-season catch monitoring and management for Chinook, coho, fall chum, and steelhead fisheries. Pre-season activities include stock assessment, abundance forecasts, analyses and modeling of regulations in development of an annual management plan for each species. These activities occur in collaboration with other tribal and WDFW technical staff. This position is also charged with developing the annual performance review for Chinook harvest management

This position provides technical capability essential to executing the tribes mandated role in co-management of salmon and steelhead fisheries. Technical analyses inform the policy decisions taken by the tribal fisheries manager and other policy-level representatives. Scientific expertise comprises the basis for sound and conservative harvest management. Management of three listed salmonids - Chinook, steelhead, and summer chum - has taken on additional complexity, to ensure that tribal members have continued opportunity to exercise their treaty-reserved fishery rights.