FY 2021 Implementation and Monitoring of Skagit Salmon Recovery Goals: Harvest Management Support

Salmonid Hatcheries and Harvest Management

Harvest Management
Project ID21-SRSC-03
Recovery DomainsPuget Sound
Start Date06/01/2022
End Date09/30/2023
Year2021
StatusCompleted
Last Edited02/27/2024
 
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Description    


We attended weekly co-manager meetings to coordinate monitoring needs within the Skagit with Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, Sauk-Suiattle Tribe and Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. We updated the co-managers regarding test fisheries, brood stocking and spawn ground surveys. Co-managers requested SRSC support additional spawn ground surveys for Chinook Salmon and Chum Salmon to fill gaps in monitoring coverage and provide additional surveys to address federal review of harvest practices. We have conducted Chinook salmon run reconstruction for 2021 and 2022. We continue to support monitoring on the Cascade River to protect Cascade River Spring Chinook population and review comanager and NOAA plans to address hatchery straying. We evaluated Chinook salmon escapement estimates and compared them to escapement goals. We additionally developed a multi-stage model for Skagit River Chinook to better evaluate the spawner recruit relationship and drivers of population dynamics. This may be further developed into a preseason forecast tool for improved harvest management. We have developed a grant proposal through the Pacific Salmon Commission Southern Fund to develop a multi-stage model for Skagit River Chum to better estimate biologically-based fishery management reference points. We continue to work with Washington State and Tribal managers to improve harvest management tools, address data needs, and update analytical approaches.

Project Benefit    


The limiting factor that this project addresses is harvest, and the purpose of the project is to provide the information that allows managers to conduct fisheries on harvestable fish, with low enough impacts that harvest is removed as a limiting factor on species recovery. Achieving project objectives will support that impacts fisheries regime will not impact the recovery of ESA list species returning to the Skagit River system, including escapement and harvest objectives outlined in local resource management plans and harvest limits outlined in Chinook and Coho AABM Agreements of the Pacific Salmon Treaty, and are therefore low enough to meet abundance based management reference points for Chinook and steelhead to recover to delisting levels (as long as complementary habitat and artificial production actions are taken) and for Puget Sound coho, chum, sockeye, and pinks to remain at healthy levels. Finally, this project will allow us to map progress toward Chinook recovery and will enable timely implementation of management actions in light of significant changes in stock productivity.



Because harvest could potentially be a significant limiting factor to the maintenance of productivity levels required by Recovery Plans of ESA listed Pacific salmon, all project objectives provide critical information required for responsible management of harvestable fish stocks in the Skagit.

Accomplishments

Metric Completed Originally
Proposed

Funding Details

SourceFunds
PCSRF$26,225
Report Total:$26,225


Project Map



Worksites

52037584    


  • Worksite Identifier: 52037584
  • Start Date:
  • End Date:
Area Description

No Area Description data was found for this worksite.

Location Information

  • Basin: Puget Sound (171100)
  • Subbasin: Puget Sound (17110019)
  • Watershed: Whidbey Island (1711001901)
  • Subwatershed: Fidalgo Island-Frontal Similk Bay (171100190101)
  • State: Washington
  • Recovery Domain: Puget Sound
  • Latitude: 48.390316
  • Longitude: -122.501709

ESU

  • Puget Sound Steelhead DPS
  • Puget Sound Chinook Salmon ESU

Map

Photos

Metrics

Metrics
  • D.0 Salmonid Hatcheries and Harvest ManagementY (Y/N)
    •      . . D.0.a Hatchery and harvest mgmt. funding 26,225.00
    •      . . D.0.b
      Complement habitat restoration project
      None.
    •      . . D.0.c
      Project Identified in a plan or watershed assessment.
      Skagit River System Cooperative & Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2005. Skagit Chinook Recovery Plan. Submitted to NOAA Fisheries. Seattle, WA. 296 pp. and appendices.
    •      . . D.3 Harvest Management ProjectY (Y/N)
      •      . . . . D.3.a Harvest Management Funding 26,225.00
      •      . . . . D.3.b.1 Fishery EvaluationsY (Y/N)
        •      . . . . . . D.3.b.2 Number of fishery evaluations completed 8
        •      . . . . . . D.3.b.3
          Record Names Of Fishery Evaluation Documents
          Skagit River System Cooperative. 2021. Pacific coastal salmon recovery grant progress report covering monitoring period January 1, 2021–June 30, 2021. Report to Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund [PCSRF]. Skagit River System Cooperative. 2022. Pacific coastal salmon recovery grant progress report covering monitoring period July 1, 2022–December 31, 2022. Report to Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund [PCSRF]. Skagit River System Cooperative. 2023. Pacific coastal salmon recovery grant progress report covering monitoring period January 1, 2023–June 30, 2023. Report to Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund [PCSRF]. Schooler, S.L., Lemoine, M., Ruff, C. 2023. Integrated Population Models with application to Skagit River Chinook Recovery Evaluation. In: Status and trends of Skagit Chinook salmon abundance, life history diversity, and productivity in response to recovery plan actions and environmental variability. Chapter 2. Report to Puget Sound National Estuary Program NTA 2018-0697. Skagit River System Cooperative. Ruff, C., Beamer, E., and LeMoine, M. 2023. Decadal scale patterns in the abundance and productivity of Skagit River Chum Salmon. Skagit River System Cooperative and Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. Puget Sound Indian Tribes and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2022. Appendix A: Management Unit Profiles (MUPs): Skagit River Management Unit Status Profile. In: Comprehensive Management Plan for Puget Sound Chinook: Harvest Management Component. https://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/02309