A Proposal for an Integrated Research Monitoring Program for Oregon Coastal Chinook Populations

Identification Information

Citation

Originator: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Publish Date: January 2001

Online Link: None

BPA Project #:

Contact Information

Agency: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Name: Cedric Cooney

Job Position: Natural Resources Data and Systems Manager

Telephone: 503-947-6094

E-Mail Address: Cedric.X.Cooney@odfw.oregon.gov

Description

Abstract: Among the many chinook salmon populations contributing to large, mixed stock ocean net, troll, and recreational fisheries managed by the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) there is a good deal of diversity with respect to productivity, life history characteristics, and ocean distribution. During the years immediately following the adoption of the original 1985 Pacific Salmon Treaty (PST), lack of adequate data prevented the PSC from managing effectively for these differences. Instead, chinook management outlined in Annex IV of the original treaty was based upon long term population trends for very large aggregates of stocks. Although harvest ceilings were established as part of a PST recovery plan for over-exploited stocks, they were based on average coast-wide production trends and resulted in over harvest of weak stocks in some years and failure to take advantage of large returns in other years. By the mid-l 990's, data relative to the distribution and abundance of many salmon stocks contributing to PST fisheries was improving. At the same time, there was increasing dissatisfaction with quota-based management and strong interest in instituting annual abundance-based management for stock aggregates that share geographic proximity of spawning areas, similar life history and genetic characteristics, and similar distributions in the ocean. Abundance-based management for aggregated stocks would establish and implement annual fishery exploitation rates in fisheries that insure long-term sustainability for all aggregates and related individual stocks. In the absence of bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Canada regarding implementation of abundance-based management, the three voting U.S. PSC Commissioners signed the 1996 Letter of Agreement (LOA) that defined elements of an abundance-based management approach for chinook salmon fisheries in southeast Alaska. The LOA was designed to: 1) set the stage for future bilateral negotiations regarding abundance based management; 2) clarify the role of PST fisheries in rebuilding depressed natural stocks; and 3) provide a means for sharing conservation responsibility of far-north migrating stocks originating from watersheds in Oregon and Washington. The foundation for abundance-based management set forth in the LOA was subsequently expanded upon and incorporated as Aggregate Abundance-Based Management (AABM) in Annex IV, Chapter 3 of the 1999 PST. Application of the abundance-based management outlined in the 1996 LOA and the subsequent 1999 amendments to the PST requires knowledge of the stock recruitment relationships, biological spawning escapement goals, and annual forecasts of ocean abundance and distribution for stocks in each aggregate to regulate fishery harvest. Managers must also have annual post-season estimates of aggregate specific exploitation rates and in-river escapements to assess the effectiveness of regulatory measures. The base-monitoring program for Oregon's coastal chinook under the 1985 PSC met only a few of these data requirements. In recognition of requirements for new and more precise data, the signatories of the original LOA sought out additional federal funds for new and expanded monitoring programs. Since 1997 Congress has annually approved approximately $1.8 million for additional research and monitoring needed to implement terms of the LOA. The PSC delegated discretionary authority for the use of those funds to the U.S. Section's Chinook Technical Committee (CTC).

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Geographic Extent: Oregon Coast

Status: Final

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Format: PDF file

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Is a physical copy maintained for reference at Headquarters? No