Harvest Management Project

The Management Project included processing the Tribes’ Salmon River and Grande Ronde TRMPs and 2013 Chinook salmon fishery management activities for the Salmon River. The 2013 Salmon River fishery management activities included developing population forecasts, harvest guidelines and regulations, coordination and reporting. The Salmon River fishery management process started by developing forecasts for the Columbia River. The Upriver Columbia River spring Chinook salmon forecast was developed and converted to a Lower Granite Dam escapement estimate. This estimate was then divided into the four major river systems: 1) Grande Ronde/Imnaha; 2) Snake; 3) Clearwater; and 4) Salmon River. The Salmon River forecast was divided into 22 natural-origin fishery management areas (FMAs), which are similar to the Interior Columbia Basin Technical Recovery Team (ICTRT) population designations. Hatchery-origin returns were estimated to each hatchery facility. Harvest guidelines were developed using the approved abundance-based sliding-scale harvest management framework for natural-origin populations and hatchery programs, outlined in the TRMP. The harvest guidelines for natural-origin populations were developed to ensure an appropriate number of adult fish escape fisheries to spawn and reproduce.

Harvest guidelines will be developed using the approved abundance-based sliding-scale harvest management framework for natural-origin populations and hatchery programs, outlined in the TRMP. The harvest guidelines for natural-origin populations are developed to ensure an appropriate number of adult fish escape fisheries to spawn and reproduce. The harvest guidelines for hatchery programs are developed to ensure the hatchery programs meet their broodstock goals. If the co-managers, through TAC modify the production goals for the hatchery programs, the harvest management program will incorporate the changes in the harvest management frameworks and distribute such information accordingly.