Well this bit is interesting to say the least. I believe it is relevant in the current discussion of the sacrificing of the resource to maintain the antiquated commercial fisheries.




TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM (FINAL)


April 28, 2009


Memo to: From:

Andy Appleby, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Tom Wegge , TCW Economics


RE: Economic Analysis of WDFW 's Hatchery 2020 Plans


The Hatchery Scientific Review group (HSRG) retained TCW Economics to conduct an economic assessment of the State's Draft Hatchery Action Implementation Plans (Hatchery 2020 Plans). This memorandum summarizes the final results of the economic assessment , and describes the methods, including data sources , used to conduct the assessment.

Accompanying this memorandum is an excel workbook that includes the data used to analyze WDFW's 120 salmon and steelhead hatchery programs, and the economic impact estimates for each program.

Results

As described in more detail below, the analysis of economic impacts focuses on measuring the expected effects of each program on generating local personal income from affected commercial and sport fisheries in different economic regions of the state. The estimates are considered minimum contributions due to the methods used to estimate freshwater sport catch, including lower than optimum levels of sampling in some marine commercial fisheries.

State-operated hatcheries for salmon and steelhead evaluated in this analysis are located in watersheds in the Puget Sound region, Coastal region, and Lower Columbia River region. The commercial and sport fisheries where hatchery-produced salmon and steelhead are harvested also occur in these three regions, as well as in more distant fisher ies located outside of state waters (e.g., southeast Alaska , British Columbia, and Oregon coast). For this analysis, however, only effects associated with the harvest in Washington State waters were evaluated .

Puget Sound Hatchery Programs

The contribution to local personal income of salmon and steelhead hatchery programs located in the Puget Sound region is shown by watershed in Table 1. Local personal income generated from Puget Sound hatchery production is estimated at $11.4 million annually in commercial fisheries and $18.4 million in sport fisheries.



TCW Economics
Econom ic Consulting for Natural Resou rce Managemen t and Land Use Plan n ing 2756 9111 Avenue Sacramento, CA 9581 8 916/45 1-3372 fax: 916/451-1920 e-mail : twegge@tcweco n .com

For hatchery produced fish that are harvested in commercial fisheries, the Puget Sound marine and freshwater net fisheries account for $10.9 million, or about 96 percent of the total personal income generated . Hatchery production of chum accounts for about 53 percent of the total personal income generated and hatchery production of Chinook accounts for about 38 percent.

For hatchery produced fish caught in sport fisheries, $11.4 million of the total $18.4 million in local personal income is associated with sport fishing activity in freshwater areas of the Puget Sound region. Puget Sound marine sport fisheries account for about $6.5 million and ocean sport fisheries account for about $627,000 in local personal income. Hatchery produced coho caught in both marine and freshwater sport fisheries generate about $7.8 million annually , steelhead sport fisheries generate about $6.7 million, and Chinook sport fisheries generate about $3.9 million in local personal income. Hatchery programs in the Snohomish watershed contribute about $5.1 million annually in local personal income in the Puget Sound region and hatchery programs in the Payullup/White watershed contribute about $3.4 million annually.

It is estimated that commercial and sport fisheries in the Puget Sound region that depend on hatchery production support an estimated 532 full- and part-time jobs throughout the region. This number of jobs does not include hatchery jobs or other jobs indirectly supported by operations at hatchery facilities.

Coastal Hatchery Programs

The contribution to local personal income of salmon and steelhead hatchery programs located in the Coastal region is shown by watershed in Table 2. Local personal income from coastal hatchery production is estimated at $1.5 million annually in commercial fisheries and $7.6 million in sport fisheries. Almost all of the local personal income generated by the harvest from coastal hatchery programs occurs in the State's coastal economic region.

For hatchery produced fish harvested in commercial fisheries, coastal net fisheries account for 97 percent of the total personal income generated . Hatchery coho production accounts for $1.0 million of the $1.5 million in annual personal income. Although not reported in Table 2, it is estimated that more than 80 percent of the local personal income is captured in the Westport area, which is the primary port associated with catch area 2.

For hatchery produced fish caught in sport fisheries, $6.8 million of the total $7.6 million in local personal income is associated with sport fishing activity in coastal freshwaters . Ocean sport fisheries account for about $821,000 and Puget Sound marine sport fisher ies account for about
$25,000 in local personal income. Hatchery fish caught in steelhead sport fisheries generate about $4.2 million annually , Chinook sport fisheries generate about $876,000, and coho sport fisheries generate about $2.6 million in local personal income. Hatchery programs in the Wynoochee watershed contribute the most personal income ($1.9 million), followed by hatchery programs in the Solduc/Quillayute and Humptulips watersheds ($1.3 million each).

It is estimated that commercial and sport fisheries in the Coastal region that depend on hatchery production support an estimated 277 full- and part-time jobs throughout the region. This
number of jobs does not include hatchery jobs or other jobs indirectly supported by operations at hatchery facilities.

Lower Columbia River Hatchery Programs

The contribution to local personal income of salmon and steelhead hatchery programs located in the Lower Columbia River region is shown by watershed in Table 3. Local personal income

from Lower Columbia River hatchery production is estimated at $1.5 million annually in commercial fisheries and $27.9 million in sport fisheries.

For hatchery produced fish harvested in commercial fisheries, the Lower Columbia River net fisheries account for about $974,000, or about 67%, of the total personal income generated . Hatchery production of coho accounts for about 53 percent of the annual $1.4 million in personal income generated and Chinook accounts for about 47 percent.

For hatchery produced fish caught in sport fisheries, $14.5 million of the total $27.9 million in local personal income is associated with sport fishing activity on the Columbia River mainstem and about $10.5 million is associated with sport fishing in terminal areas (tributary fisheries) of the Lower Columbia River . Ocean sport fisheries account for about $2.8 million and Puget Sound marine sport fisheries account for about $74,000 in local personal income. Hatchery fish caught in steelhead sport fisheries generate about $13.7 million annually , Chinook sport fisheries generate about $3.7 million, and coho sport fisheries generate about $10.5 million in local personal income. Hatchery programs in the Cowlitz River watershed contribute the most personal income at $14.8 million annually , distantly followed by hatchery programs in the Lewis River watershed ($5.7 million) and Kalama River hatchery programs ($2.8 million) .

It is estimated that commercial and sport fisheries in the Lower Columbia River region that depend on hatchery production support an estimated 1,108 full- and part-time jobs throughout the region. This number of jobs does not include hatchery jobs or other jobs indirectly supported by operations at hatchery facilities.
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Dazed and confused.............the fog is closing in