1. John Long Regional Director, SW Washington
So you want to catch a salmon? a behind the scenes look at salmon management
John Long
Regional Director, SW Washington

2. Jeff Wickersham Enforcement Dan Rawding Fish Program
Introduce the team
Jeff Wickersham Enforcement
Dan Rawding Fish Program
Dave Howe Habitat Program

3. What do you think of when you hear someone talking about a salmon fishing trip?
Serenity
Grandpa
On Golden Pond
Simplicity
Back to nature
Roughing it?
A group like this may think more in terms of dollars and cents…

4. RECREATIONAL FISHING IN WASHINGTON IS BIG BUSINESS - Spring Chinook fishery below BON ~ 2000.
According to a study prepared by TCW Economics, recreational anglers in Washington State spent an estimated $904.8 million in 2006 on fishing-related equipment and trip related items. This provides an economic boost to rural economies and enriches the Northwest way of life.

5. Biological Complexity!
But a fish biologist or a fisheries manager might think of
Amazing biological complexity
6 species
Various age and life history strategies
Migration timings
Separations in time and space
Whether their abundances are augmented through hatchery production

6. Speaking of biological complexity, salmon have amazing and varied life history strategies.
And we have to account for all this biological complexity in a world of management complexity

7. Management Complexity!
Pacific Salmon
Treaty
And salmon (& steelhead) couldn’t care any less about human political boundaries
US v Washington
US v Oregon
Pacific Fishery
Management Council

8. North of Falcon (NOF) Process
Intensive 3-month process:
6 Species
>25 Tribes
>100 Fisheries
Pacific Salmon Treaty
Magnuson-Stevens Act
Federal Court Decisions
ESA Requirements
FWC Policies
State Law
Agreement(s)
List of Agreed-to Fisheries

9. NOF in a nutshell Forecast Harvestable surplus? Predict catch
Model fisheries
Negotiate with tribes and other states for fair sharing of catch and stocks that are constraints
Regulations: “Agreed-to Fisheries Document”

10. Science considerations
Stock assessment
Catch estimation
Hatchery vs Wild
Endangered Species Act
“no jeopardy”
“not impede recovery”
In order to do NOF/Management well, you have to do science well
Stock assessment – escapement estimation, productivity, cohort/age effects, factoring in environmental anomalies etc This is the basis for forecasting harvestable numbers
Catch estimation – relative power of fisheries, historical observations (catch record cards, creel estimates, etc.)
Hatchery augmentation – brood needs but also minimize straying (hatchery programs need to be right sized) Disease issues, water quality effects, genetic considerations on surrounding stocks potential negative affects.
AND you have to do all this in an ESA environment to ensure you aren’t impacting recovery
All the plans (hatchery brood plans, HGMPs, Fisheries and Harvest Management Plans

11. Stevens/Palmer Treaties
Signed ten treaties in
Federal laws that preempt any state laws
In exchange for the land, reserved the right of the tribes to taking fish at “all usual and accustomed places, in common with the citizens of the Territory”
Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens

12. Co-Management Process
The State and the Tribes agree that they each have responsibilities and rights that must be respected.
Neither the State or the Tribes take significant management actions that might effect the other without prior consultation.
Disputes are addressed at a policy level before a third party is engaged rather than litigation.

13. The Pacific Salmon Treaty
Ratified by Canada and USA in 1985
Principles of the treaty:
Prevent overfishing and provide for optimum production
Provide for each Party to receive benefits equivalent to the production of salmon originating in its waters
Both countries agree to cooperate in the management, research and enhancement of Pacific salmon stocks of mutual concern
Formed the Pacific Salmon Commission to allow for creation of Panels and Committees by the Commission
As I mentioned earlier, salmon don’t really care about our political boundaries. But when there are natural resources that are swimming all over creation, this can create conflicts too. Fish Wars…. US and CAN used to target the other parties resource and maximize their benefits at the other’s expense. AK – CAN – WA – OR.

14. WDFW Commission Policy
Neither side will take an action that affects the other side without consultation
Joint establishment of conservation objectives, abundance estimates, hatchery production
Sharing and discussion of harvest data, catch accounting methods, and fishery regulations
Recognizes Tribal authority and Agency’s dual mandate
The States have Commissions – Policy setting bodies that guide our actions
WA FWC

15. Competing user groups Non-Consumptive Commercial Ocean Troll Gill Net
Purse Seine
Reef Net
Recreational
Ocean vs mainstem vs tributaries
Upstream vs downstream
Bank vs Boat
Gear conflicts / preferences
Bait, hardware, fly, troll, plunk, etc.
Even within the State there are competing user groups
Culture, Identities, Values
Everyone has their preferred way to catch, and where to catch, fish.
Managers are tasked with navigating these many preferences to try and provide fair opportunities to all these groups
The sword is double edged (Conservation vs Allocation) and lady justice is blind

16. Management tools “regulatory complexity”
Time and area restrictions
Season length
Allowable species
Daily limits
Size restrictions (Min size, Max size, Slot limit)
Gear restrictions
Mark Selective Fisheries
In order to meet the many conservation and sharing objectives, we implement a whole bunch of management tools
Read “regulatory complexity”
Areas of the ocean, reaches of river, months, days per week, etc.
All focused on eking out opportunities while meeting conservation objectives

17. Assuming you get agreements…
Details of those agreements must be translated into a number of “languages”
Rules/Regulations/WACs
Pamphlet Editions
SBEIS
Enforcement
In-season changes
Monitoring/Evaluation
Emergency Rules
Hotlines
Websites
Remember, we have to have rigorous science to be able to negotiate and implement fisheries on the landscape
Better have details captured during negotiations
Complex mosaic of seasons, restrictions, gears, daily limits, restricted species, allowed species…. Nothing simple
Translate those agreements into a number of languages (WACs, Rules, Regulations, Pamphlets, Small Business EIS)
All so you can appropriately enforce fisheries to meet the conservation and sharing objectives
Then on top of all that, when the fish actually start running you can bet that something will be different… nothing seems to happen exactly as predicted
Nimble, flexible changes to rules are applied as a result of in-season observations

18. Elements of Successful Fishery Management
Co-Managers agree on forecasts and conservation objectives
Fishery model runs are accurate
Stakeholders are provided meaningful participation in decision making
Management is adaptive
So… given these considerations, what does success look like to a fish manager?
No, it’s not tequila

19. Elements of Successful Fishery Management
Management measures should meet
Conservation objectives for natural populations
Escapement objectives for hatchery fish
Fishery objectives and needs fairly
Fisheries are conducted in accordance with the pre-season plan
Rules are enforced to ensure compliance
Post-season analysis is completed annually
Meet conservation, escapement, and fishery sharing objectives
Conduct fisheries in accordance with pre-season plan
Ensure compliance with rules
Write it all up at the end of the season and get ready to go again next year

20. Now what do you think of when you hear someone talking about a salmon fishing trip?
Hopefully you can at least understand a bit of what fishery managers are navigating to provide opportunities.

21. Questions?
Happy to take a couple of questions now but the team and I are going to accompany you for the rest of the afternoon.
We’d love to talk with you and share with you.
And again, the team; so you can seek them out are:

22. Jeff Wickersham Enforcement Dan Rawding Fish Program
Dave Howe Habitat Program