Harvest Season Evaluation

Shoshone Bannock Tribes Fish and Wildlife Department with the assistance of Fish and Game Enforcement monitored and evaluated the Tribes Chinook salmon fisheries; collected, analyzed, and reported data on 2010 fisheries. Staff collected efforts, hours per effort, fish caught per effort, fish released per effort, indirect mortality, gear used, area, and time. Biologists estimated total Tribal harvest for each population with 95% CI at the conclusion of the harvest season. To estimate adult Chinook salmon escapement for each Fishery Management Area (FMA) and determine harvest impacts, staff coordinated with resource managers to obtain estimates of total redds and pre-spawn mortality for each FMA and obtain adult escapement estimates from fish counting stations. Once total abundance of Chinook salmon for each FMA was determined, harvest impacts for each FMA were developed and concerns identified associated with harvest management. After completing data analysis, staff determined if proposed harvest rates were less than, equal too, or more than the proposed harvest guidelines and overall impacts to 22 FMAs. The Tribes will communicated our findings to NOAA-Fisheries and relevant co-managers in a detailed annual report.

Assist in recovery of Snake River spring/summer Chinook salmon by implementing a conservative harvest regime in the Salmon River Basin.