(Got this from a buddy of mine)
Thank you for your email to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission
regarding the Chehalis River winter steelhead fishery. A copy of your comments
has been forwarded to each Commission member.
Please see below for further details on this issue.
Nancy Burkhart
Commission Office Assistant
CHEHALIS WINTER STEELHEAD 2004-05 SEASON MANAGEMENT FACTS:
> The 2003-04 wild steelhead run size into the Chehalis system was 18,796.
Since 1982-83, the only run size that came close to this number was in 1986-87
when the run size was 17,554.
> The escapement goal for the Chehalis system is 8,600; the 2003-04 escapement
was 15,825.
> The 2004-05 run size is forecasted to be 13,148, the third highest in 22
years.
> The state/tribal management plan estimates a 2004-05 escapement of 10,909,
assuming a wild fish retention opportunity is not provided to the sport fishery,
which would have an estimated impact of 800 fish.
> The Quinault Indian Nation's (QIN) share of wild steelhead reserved by treaty
with the United States is 2,274; the state/tribal management plan predicts a QIN
harvest of 1,954.
> The model the state and tribal co-managers use to estimate the tribal catch
was updated this year and now uses a catchability coefficient based on the most
recent two-years' actual fishery results.
> The recreational fishery is predicted to harvest 6,757 (6,658 hatchery + 99
wild) fish in 2004-05 absent wild fish retention in the sport fishery. The QIN
fishery is predicted to harvest 3,963 (1,954 wild + 2,009 hatchery) fish.
The tribal fishery schedule encompasses more days than in recent years; however,
it is not predicted to catch more than its share of the harvestable wild fish.
As a result, there is no basis to challenge the schedule that the QIN has
authorized the tribal fishers to fish.
The Commission and Department share your passion for preserving the valuable
resource for this and future generations. We believe that managing this system
using the best science will continue to result in a healthy steelhead resource.
Thank you again for sharing your comments.
For additional information regarding fisheries co-management, please visit the
following web pages:
http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/factshts/comgrs.htm http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/fishcorn.htm http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/fish/tribal/2004-05agreement.pdf