[4] Fall Chinook Run Upgrade Boosts Harvest Rates

Columbia Basin harvest managers re-opened part of the lower Columbia Sept. 20 to recreational and commercial fishing after their latest run upgrade triggered a boost in harvest rates for both tribal and non-tribal fishers.

"We're pleased that this run is coming in so much stronger than expected," said WDFW's Cindy LeFleur on Sept. 18. "This season is turning out quite a bit better than we expected."

The combination of strong returns and new catch rates may allow the states to open a chinook fishery in the lower Snake River in the coming weeks, she said. "If that occurs, it would be the first fall chinook opening we've had there in several decades."

Today, the agency announced part of the Snake was open with a catch limit of one hatchery chinook and two hatchery jacks. It's the first fall chinook fishery in the Snake since 1988.

Raising their estimate of the upriver bright chinook run from 164,000 (preseason) to 213,000 fish means the tribal harvest rate will go up from 23 percent to 27 percent and the non-tribal rate will rise from 8.25 percent to 11 percent, with the sports getting 53 percent of the share. The harvest boost is part of the newest US v. Oregon harvest agreement, which was finalized in May. The new rates are also conditional on the ESA-listed Snake wild run being over 6,000. Preseason, managers had estimated that 6,400 wilds (to Columbia River mouth) would return this year.

On Sept. 22, the managers maintained their latest estimate on upriver brights, but downgraded the Bonneville tule run slightly, to 96,500 from 102,000.

They weren't prepared to update the early-run coho, but said it looked to be higher than the current inseason projection of 135,000.

So far, about 13,000 hatchery and wild fall chinook have passed Lower Granite Dam. Last, year, barely 10,000 were counted for the entire fall season, with a final estimate of wild adults around 2,600 fish.

The managers also raised their estimate of the B-run steelhead from 50,000 to 90,000, which means the catch will now be managed for a 20 percent harvest rate.

With prices high, harvest effort has been high in the tribal fishery. Last week, an aerial survey counted 242 nets in Bonneville Pool, 150 nets behind The Dalles Dam, and 299 nets in John Day Pool.

By Sept. 22, about 285,000 fall chinook had been counted at Bonneville Dam. Harvest manager also noted hatchery tules are returning to Bonneville Pool in greater numbers than the expected 75,000 fish. By Sept. 18, more than 26,000 tule had entered Spring Creek Hatchery, with over 13,000 females. Only 7,000 are needed for broodstock.

By Sept. 20, tribal fishers had caught about 120,000 fall chinook and 22,000 steelhead. Non-Indians had caught more than 47,000 fall chinook. -B. R.

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