http://www.theolympian.com/home/news/20050206/southsound/82850.shtml Columbia steelhead kill raised
Conservation groups criticize increase in acceptable 'by-catch' death rate
CHESTER ALLEN
THE OLYMPIAN
Columbia River commercial fishermen will be allowed to kill up to 4 percent of the wild winter steelhead run during this year's spring hatchery chinook season.
Most of the wild winter steelhead in lower Columbia River tributaries -- including rivers such as the Cowlitz and Kalama -- are under Endangered Species Act protection.
Commercial netters were allowed to accidentally kill -- but not keep -- 2 percent of the wild steelhead run during the past few years.
But the state Fish and Wildlife Commission, which oversees the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, decided Saturday to increase the accidental death rate -- called "bycatch" -- on the Columbia to help commercial anglers net their full quota of hatchery chinook.
Sport anglers and representatives of Washington Trout, the Wild Steelhead Coalition and other conservation groups ripped the commission's decision -- and vowed to fight on.
"They didn't meet their responsibility to conserve wild steelhead stocks," said Ramon VandenBrulle of Washington Trout.
Wild steelhead still are struggling in many rivers, and spawning goals aren't being met in many rivers, said Todd Ripley of the Wild Steelhead Coalition.
Activists will go to Oregon next week to lobby that state's fish and wildlife commission to reject a similar move, VandenBrulle said.
A lawsuit also is a possibility, he said.
Oregon and Washington co-manage the Columbia River hatchery chinook fishery.
How it works
While wild steelhead are protected under the Endangered Species Act -- sport anglers cannot keep the fish -- federal regulators allow commercial fishermen to unintentionally kill some fish while netting.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, which oversees endangered fish, ruled earlier this year that up to 6 percent of the Columbia's wild steelhead run could die during net fisheries without permanently harming the fish.
Washington commission members listened to more than two hours of public testimony Saturday before voting to accept a staff recommendation to allow state fish managers the option to increase the total kill of wild steelhead to 4 percent of the entire run.
Fish and Wildlife estimates that 27,000 wild winter steelhead will swim up the Columbia and into tributary rivers and streams this year.
Commission members and Fish and Wildlife Director Jeff Koenings were quick to add that they hope the wild steelhead kill remains at 2 percent of the run -- or less.
No one at Fish and Wildlife wants to kill wild steelhead, Koenings said, but some of the fish inevitably die during the chinook salmon netting.
Why the increase?
Why do state fish managers want the option to increase the kill?
Giving fish managers more leeway in allowing wild steelhead deaths will let commercial fishermen get their full share of chinook, said Guy Norman, Fish and Wildlife Region 5 director.
Cindy LeFleur, Fish and Wildlife Columbia River policy coordinator, said managers would allow a steelhead kill greater than 2 percent in a case like this:
Commercial salmon netters have killed an estimated 1.7 percent of the wild steelhead run, but there are still 5,000 chinook left to catch.
Those 5,000 chinook are worth about $1 million to the 150 to 200 netters in the fishery.
But allowing another day -- or hours -- of netting would kill another 0.5 percent of the steelhead run.
Under the old regulations, the netters would not be allowed to go after those salmon, as they would end up killing more than 2 percent of the steelhead run.
Under the new regulations, state fisheries managers would allow another day of netting, as the wild steelhead toll would be 2.2 percent, which is well below the 4 percent maximum.
Several Columbia River commercial fishermen told the commission that spring chinook are the backbone of their struggling industry.
Special nets that tangle in fish mouths let them live until fishermen pull the nets, said Steve Gray, a commercial fisherman from Long Beach.
Fishermen pull the nets every 45 minutes, and there are fish recovery tanks on board every boat to help steelhead revive before returning to the river, Gray said.
"We don't want to kill wild steelhead," Gray said. "This is the most selective fishery in the world."
By the numbers
Increasing the commercial toll on wild steelhead makes no sense at all, dozens of sport anglers said.
Carl Burke of Olympia pointed out that commercial fishermen caught more than their chinook quota on the Columbia during the past two years -- and without killing more than 2 percent of the steelhead run.
- In 2002, 2003 and 2004, commercial netters had no problem taking more than their allotment.
- In 2002, netters were allocated 0.68 percent of the total run, but they ended up landing 0.70 percent.
- In 2003, netters were allocated 0.59 percent of the total run but ended up with 0.62 percent.
- In 2004, netters were allocated 0.80 percent of the run, but landed 1.12 percent.
"In short, staff has recommended a solution to a problem that doesn't exist," Burke said.
At the same time, many steelhead rivers that flow into the Columbia aren't meeting spawning goals for wild steelhead, Burke said.
Bob Tuck of Selah was the only one on the nine-member commission to vote against the increase in steelhead net deaths.
The new rule expires Dec. 31, and commission members vowed to take another look next year. Tuck said he couldn't vote for the increase because a dry winter and troubled ocean conditions will hurt wild steelhead this year.
Wild steelhead also are declining on many Columbia River tributaries, Tuck said.
"In this business, as far as I'm concerned, close calls go to the fish," Tuck said.
Chester Allen is outdoors reporter for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-4226 or crallen@olympia. gannett.com.