Check

 

Defiance Boats!

LURECHARGE!

THE PP OUTDOOR FORUMS

Kast Gear!

Power Pro Shimano Reels G Loomis Rods

  Willie boats! Puffballs!

 

Three Rivers Marine

 

 
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 >
Topic Options
Rate This Topic
#971922 - 01/23/17 08:55 AM WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
WDFW Admits Losing 514,500 Fish in Cowlitz
Missing Fish: Losses Will Begin to Be Felt During 2018 Summer Run

Between Saturday and Sunday, unknown suspects cut nets holding about 100,000 growing salmon, releasing the fish into the lake, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Of the roughly 625,900 steelhead and 90,600 cutthroat smolt reared by the Cowlitz Trout Hatchery for release in 2016, roughly 514,000, or about 70 percent of the stock, went missing prior to release.

Posted: Friday, January 20, 2017 11:42 pm
By Jordan Nailon / jnailon@chronline.com | 1 comment
After months of rampant rumors and speculation coming off of the Cowlitz River, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has finally confirmed what many area anglers had feared.
Of the roughly 625,900 steelhead and 90,600 cutthroat smolt reared by the Cowlitz Trout Hatchery for release in 2016, roughly 514,000, or about 70 percent of the stock, went missing prior to release.
Those losses are likely to have a negative impact on the summer steelhead runs of 2018-2019 as well as cutthroat returns as early as this summer.
To make matters worse, the WDFW says it doesn’t know where exactly the fish went. Theories to explain the huge losses include bird predation, disease, escape from rearing pens and wildly inaccurate and faulty counting equipment.
On Jan. 9, the WDFW quietly released a fact sheet detailing the historic loss of steelhead and cutthroat trout. On Thursday afternoon, WDFW policy coordinator for the Columbia River, Cindy Le Fleur, spoke with The Chronicle in order to more thoroughly address the situation.
“We’ve not seen anything like this before,” said Le Fleur, who was the only WDFW representative made available for comment.
Numerous attempts to speak on the record with hatchery managers and WDFW biologists were refused and instead passed along to Le Fleur's office over the past month. At one point, when The Chronicle asked if the animals had died, an official from WDFW said no, but provided no additional information about the missing fish.
The loss of more than a half a million fish that would have begun making returns to the Cowlitz River in the summer of 2017 comes on the heels of another loss of about 100,000 fall Chinook salmon smolt in May 2016 when a net pen in Lake Mayfield was vandalized, allowing the fish to escape. This time around, though, there was no nefarious outside act to help explain the loss of more than half a million hatchery fish that fuel the most popular fishery on the Cowlitz River.
On the phone, Le Fleur broke down the numbers provided in the fact sheet even further, noting that of the 202,000 summer-run fish released in the Cowlitz River in 2016, about 183,600 are believed to have been steelhead, with the difference being made up by about 18,600 cutthroat trout. Although she was confident in those numbers, Le Fleur was entirely unsure of where the bulk of that vanishing 2016 stock went.
The cause that the WDFW seems to believe is most plausible is mass bird predation. The tiny fish are reared in lakebound net pens and are essentially captive targets for hungry birds. Le Fleur said that avian predation has been a known problem for some time, so preventative measures are already undertaken. However, she noted that the efforts are by no means comprehensive and added that since this year’s losses are unprecedented, there was little indication that increased protection was needed.
Le Fleur said that the protective bird netting at the rearing pens is not complete and allows for persistent and particularly piscatorial inclined birds to gain access to the fish. Le Fleur noted that Tacoma Power, which owns the hatchery as part of required mitigation efforts for wild fish losses caused by dams on the Cowlitz River, employs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to perform bird harassment operations around the pens. However, those actions are not performed continuously so the birds are free to return when the harassment agents leave. Le Fleur said that there has been talk of stepping up those harassment efforts to include lethal measures on some birds.
“Tacoma is looking into that,” confirmed Le Fleur, who noted that she does not have a firm handle on the regulations pertaining to the harassment of wild birds since different species are subject to different protections from state and federal agencies.
Le Fleur also placed at least some of the blame on smolt counting equipment that she said is known to be largely inaccurate.
“I don’t think it’s reliable, like if two fish go through at the same time. The counting equipment just isn’t perfect,” said Le Fleur. She also noted that lake debris such as sticks and grass sometimes wind up being incorrectly counted as fish.
Le Fleur stated that counting equipment is imperative to getting a handle on how many fish are reared and released each year but admitted that she is not sure where or when the fish counting equipment used by WDFW was purchased or if it is the most accurate option available on the market.
“We can’t count them in the lakes. What we do is we count them, and it’s an electronic fish counter, when they leave, when they are released. That’s part of the problem is you can’t know how many are in there at any give time. They’re in these great big lakes,” explained Le Fleur. “I think the lakes are fairly deep and I don’t know if you can see your way through it. They are not your typical raceways that are long skinny ponds that are maybe four or five feet deep or something.”
Because of that inability to keep tabs on the fish while they are still in the lake rearing pens, it is unknown precisely how long the missing smolt had been missing before the discrepancy was discovered in June.
The fact sheet provided by Le Fleur noted that her department, which is contracted by Tacoma Power to undertake day to day operations at the hatchery, is currently working with the power company to figure out what went wrong and how to prevent it from happening in the future.
So far, Le Fleur says that the actions taken to prevent additional losses to hatchery stock include improved netting and increased bird hazing to include all daylight hours.
“Tacoma Power is in the process of doing an evaluation on the trout hatchery for a rebuild so all of those discussions will be a part of that, including possibly even redoing the lakes,” said Le Fleur.
Those future efforts could include nighttime patrols, shoreline pond covers to deter Blue Herons, and lethal action against some birds. The fact sheet noted that Tacoma Power is currently working to obtain a contract for the lethal bird hazing and anticipates having that program in place no later than fall of 2017.
Fully netted and covered rearing ponds are expected to be in place within the next three to six years.

Top
#971924 - 01/23/17 10:19 AM Re: WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
eyeFISH Offline
Ornamental Rice Bowl

Registered: 11/24/03
Posts: 12766
WOW... just WOW!
_________________________
"Let every angler who loves to fish think what it would mean to him to find the fish were gone." (Zane Grey)

"If you don't kill them, they will spawn." (Carcassman)


The Keen Eye MD
Long Live the Kings!

Top
#971925 - 01/23/17 11:07 AM Re: WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
Carcassman Online   content
River Nutrients

Registered: 11/21/07
Posts: 7413
Loc: Olema,California,Planet Earth
Just when you think they have plumbed the depths of incompetence they open a new and deeper level.

Top
#971928 - 01/23/17 02:10 PM Re: WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
onthewater Offline
Fry

Registered: 09/23/12
Posts: 30
One method of getting out of doing something you really don't want to do is to repeatedly show gross incompetence at performing that task. I think the state may just get what it wants. I hope the tribes are paying attention.
_________________________
Always happiest with fish scales on my face.

"Hope I die before I get old" - Pete Townshend, The Who, Musician/Singer/Songwriter and Spokesperson of a generation.

Top
#971933 - 01/23/17 06:27 PM Re: WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
Larry B Offline
River Nutrients

Registered: 10/22/09
Posts: 3020
Loc: University Place and Whidbey I...
This situation occurred in the Spring of 2016 and despite word of mouth (AKA "rumors") it is not mentioned in posted minutes of the Cowlitz River Advisory Group until their 4 November 2016 meeting. Here is a link to the "Notes" from that meeting with the specifics starting in the middle of page 4:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/about/advisory/crag/minutes_110416_CRAG.pdf

One might wonder why it was not brought to the attention of the Group at their 19 July meeting? Link:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/about/advisory/crag/minutes_071916_CRAG.pdf

If one wants to really strain their brain one might ask where the Notes are for the 5 Feb and 25 March meetings shown on the Advisory Group webpage and why these records are shown as Notes (informal) on the documents yet as Minutes on the webpage?

Link: http://wdfw.wa.gov/about/advisory/crag/

By the way, those "great big lakes" are described in her Nov meeting Notes as being 5 acre ponds.

Given the hand wringing and speculation (the ducks ate the food???) one might wonder how many were actually released in past years? And how might that have impacted the rate of return computations?

The only good news is that the Cowlitz River Advisory Group is on the webpage (while the Dungeness Crab Advisory Group is not.(bad)).....









Edited by Larry B (01/23/17 09:36 PM)
_________________________
Remember to immediately record your catch or you may become the catch!

It's the person who has done nothing who is sure nothing can be done. (Ewing)

Top
#971935 - 01/23/17 07:28 PM Re: WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
Jason Beezuz Offline
My Waders are Moist

Registered: 11/20/08
Posts: 3440
Loc: PNW
The coverup always makes it 10X more egregious. This was definitely swept under the rug. What a bunch of horse [Bleeeeep!].

JTFC
_________________________
Maybe he's born with it.

Maybe it's amphetamines.

Top
#971936 - 01/23/17 07:30 PM Re: WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
wintersteelheadme Offline
Fry

Registered: 02/25/11
Posts: 31
you would think that months of cormorants diving on the pens, someone would come to the conclusion that they are going to miss some fish!!!! To have it come as a surprise is laughable and inexcusable, they are biologists for gods sake.

Top
#971937 - 01/23/17 08:11 PM Re: WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
stonefish Online   content
King of the Beach

Registered: 12/11/02
Posts: 5205
Loc: Carkeek Park
I can imagine the reaction of the business I work for if I told my boss "we lost 70% of our inventory and I don't know where it went......or when we lost it".

Perception of WDFW is at an all time low, so they decide to help put out the fire with super unleaded. What a bunch of [Bleeeeep!] idiots.
SF
_________________________
Go Dawgs!
Founding Member - 2023 Pink Plague Opposition Party
#coholivesmatter

Top
#971938 - 01/23/17 08:47 PM Re: WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
Dan S. Offline
It all boils down to this - I'm right, everyone else is wrong, and anyone who disputes this is clearly a dumbfuck.

Registered: 03/07/99
Posts: 17149
Loc: SE Olympia, WA
It was kids in leather jackets that did it.

Yeah............that's it.



And one of them had a switchblade.
_________________________
She was standin' alone over by the juke box, like she'd something to sell.
I said "baby, what's the goin' price?" She told me to go to hell.

Bon Scott - Shot Down in Flames

Top
#971939 - 01/23/17 08:49 PM Re: WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
Dan S. Offline
It all boils down to this - I'm right, everyone else is wrong, and anyone who disputes this is clearly a dumbfuck.

Registered: 03/07/99
Posts: 17149
Loc: SE Olympia, WA

They were here just a minute ago!
_________________________
She was standin' alone over by the juke box, like she'd something to sell.
I said "baby, what's the goin' price?" She told me to go to hell.

Bon Scott - Shot Down in Flames

Top
#971942 - 01/23/17 09:10 PM Re: WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
Piper
Unregistered


fishing in the lake should be pretty good next year, and the ducks will be fat, slow and tasty...

Top
#971945 - 01/23/17 09:21 PM Re: WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
eyeFISH Offline
Ornamental Rice Bowl

Registered: 11/24/03
Posts: 12766
Her attempts at reasonable explanations for how the fish were lost are LAME.

Hard not to laugh, except that its so damned sad.
_________________________
"Let every angler who loves to fish think what it would mean to him to find the fish were gone." (Zane Grey)

"If you don't kill them, they will spawn." (Carcassman)


The Keen Eye MD
Long Live the Kings!

Top
#971946 - 01/23/17 09:25 PM Re: WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
eyeFISH Offline
Ornamental Rice Bowl

Registered: 11/24/03
Posts: 12766
Not sure how long I would have a job if I lost 70% of the eyes I took to the operating room... even if I could physically account for each lost eye.

She lost them... can't account for how they went missing... and still has her friggin job 9 months later.

What the hell is WRONG with this picture?
_________________________
"Let every angler who loves to fish think what it would mean to him to find the fish were gone." (Zane Grey)

"If you don't kill them, they will spawn." (Carcassman)


The Keen Eye MD
Long Live the Kings!

Top
#971948 - 01/23/17 10:15 PM Re: WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Re: wintersteelheadme]
Larry B Offline
River Nutrients

Registered: 10/22/09
Posts: 3020
Loc: University Place and Whidbey I...
Originally Posted By: wintersteelheadme
you would think that months of cormorants diving on the pens, someone would come to the conclusion that they are going to miss some fish!!!! To have it come as a surprise is laughable and inexcusable, they are biologists for gods sake.


You'd think, wouldn't you? So, if not cormorants then what? Where does Occam's razor take us??

Oh, and TPU is supposed to be looking for answers. Waiting.
_________________________
Remember to immediately record your catch or you may become the catch!

It's the person who has done nothing who is sure nothing can be done. (Ewing)

Top
#971956 - 01/24/17 08:20 AM Re: WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
The meetings I've been at with Cindy baby she is more concerned with getting something out of the vending machine and going outside for one of her many cigarette breaks. It all revolves around her mouth. Food and smoke go in............Excuses come out. The fact she can't even take care of her own body should tell you all you need to know about her effort level. Unfortunately failure is expected at WDFW. As you can see they have a canned list of excuses that puts the blame on everyone but themselves. There is zero accountability.
They are the Cleveland Browns of Fish and Wildlife agencies!!!!!!!!

I've said it for years..............They need to yank the nipple out of their mouth, fire them all, kick their lame union to the curb, and contract with the private sector the state loves to hold accountable. They would save us all money, improve our opportunity, and get the job done.

WDFW is a limp wristed chit show that is firing on all cylinders.

Top
#971957 - 01/24/17 08:24 AM Re: WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
RUNnGUN Offline
Repeat Spawner

Registered: 12/06/07
Posts: 1382
Makes me wonder how accurate the plant numbers and information they provide are on other river systems. Could it be that the WDFW lies about what they plant and uses outward migration mortality as a scapegoat? Really opens the distrust door a lot further for me. How was it that hatchery operations were so successful years ago? Why isn't Tacoma Power liable in any of this? If it wasn't for the dams we wouldn't be here anyway.







Edited by RUNnGUN (01/24/17 08:33 AM)
_________________________
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller.
Don't let the old man in!

Top
#971959 - 01/24/17 08:30 AM Re: WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
Salmo g. Offline
River Nutrients

Registered: 03/08/99
Posts: 13521
While TP is looking into this I wonder if they will conclude that 5-acre earthen ponds are not a good way to rear steelhead and cutthroat smolts. I think quality control is impossible in that kind of environment.

Top
#971961 - 01/24/17 08:54 AM Re: WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
WDFW X 1 = 0 Offline
My Area code makes me cooler than you

Registered: 01/27/15
Posts: 4549
Yank their permit.

Top
#971962 - 01/24/17 08:54 AM Re: WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
downhillphil Offline
Egg

Registered: 04/12/13
Posts: 2
Loc: PDX OR
The Cleveland Browns had one win; what do you consider the WDFW victory this year?
_________________________
There's no I in team, but there is in Phil.

Top
#971964 - 01/24/17 10:50 AM Re: WDFW Blows it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Re: WDFW X 1 = 0]
Carcassman Online   content
River Nutrients

Registered: 11/21/07
Posts: 7413
Loc: Olema,California,Planet Earth
One of the constantly circulating stories in fish culture is what happens when effective predator netting is installed over rearing raceways/ponds. In more than a few cases the pond has "rolled" due to low DO as there were too many fish in it. Complete unawareness of how many were removed by birds, snakes, rats, and other fish eaters.

QC is difficult in the ponds as is simply getting a good count. To do so (good count, good control, good anything) takes money and commitment to success. WDFW seems to have little of either any more.

Top
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 >

Search

Site Links
Home
Our Washington Fishing
Our Alaska Fishing
Reports
Rates
Contact Us
About Us
Recipes
Photos / Videos
Visit us on Facebook
Today's Birthdays
CHUBS
Recent Gallery Pix
hatchery steelhead
Hatchery Releases into the Pacific and Harvest
Who's Online
0 registered (), 939 Guests and 1 Spider online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
John Boob, Lawrence, I'm Still RichG, feyt, Freezeout
11498 Registered Users
Top Posters
Todd 28170
Dan S. 17149
Sol Duc 16138
The Moderator 14486
Salmo g. 13521
eyeFISH 12766
STRIKE ZONE 12107
Dogfish 10979
ParaLeaks 10513
Jerry Garcia 9160
Forum Stats
11498 Members
16 Forums
63773 Topics
645302 Posts

Max Online: 3001 @ 01/28/20 02:48 PM

Join the PP forums.

It's quick, easy, and always free!

Working for the fish and our future fishing opportunities:

The Wild Steelhead Coalition

The Photo & Video Gallery. Nearly 1200 images from our fishing trips! Tips, techniques, live weight calculator & more in the Fishing Resource Center. The time is now to get prime dates for 2018 Olympic Peninsula Winter Steelhead , don't miss out!.

| HOME | ALASKA FISHING | WASHINGTON FISHING | RIVER REPORTS | FORUMS | FISHING RESOURCE CENTER | CHARTER RATES | CONTACT US | WHAT ABOUT BOB? | PHOTO & VIDEO GALLERY | LEARN ABOUT THE FISH | RECIPES | SITE HELP & FAQ |