I am so saddened and disgusted. In light of recent news of the Quinault Tribes short Winter Steelhead season announcement last week, and the WDFW coastal seasons to be announced, I wanted to start a conversation from those of you that know much more about what's been going on the last few years with our Steelhead. We all have witnessed the decline in numbers and realize it's a bunch of factors that are playing together. But what do we know for a fact that is causing the declines?
-Habitat? Has that really changed the last 5 years? Some better, some
worse.
-Harvest? Definitely know that it has dropped for both recreational
and tribal.
-High seas interception? Do we know if this is playing a role?
-Smolt Survival? A lot of unknowns but some facts exist.
-Dams and other migration obstacles.
-Are the predators overwhelming? Birds, pinnipeds?
-Ocean conditions? Food supply, the blob?
-Hatchery production? Has dropped significantly.
- Lawsuits have either eliminated or cut back many
programs.
-WDFW budget cuts.
-Steelhead are expensive to produce.
-Hatchery vs Wild debate?
-West Coast Region Wide Problem? How are the SE Alaska populations
doing?
-I read the Thompson R. B.C. population is down to
hundreds.
-How are other B.C. systems doing? Dean,
Skeena systems etc.
-Russian populations? Kola peninsula? I read this:
"According to Moscow State University biologists, in the 25
years since the KSP started, steelhead populations in the
three rivers have dramatically expanded by a factor of
four or five: Snotalvayam about 7,000 returning
steelhead, Kvachina about 9,000, and Utkholok about
20,000."
??? HOW CAN THIS BE ??? If it's a West Coast
Pacific Ocean problem?
Please fill in gaps I missed. Maybe a smoking gun exists?