[7] Pacific Smelt Listed For ESA Protection
NOAA Fisheries announced Mar. 16 that it was listing Pacific smelt as threatened under the ESA. The oil-rich smelt, also known as eulachon, or candlefish, spawn in rivers in late winter or early spring and can spend five years at sea before they return.
The small fish have long been prized by tribal cultures for their oil. Many Northwest tribes still use "ooligan" oil as part of their native cuisine, especially in BC and Alaska. Lewis and Clark ate plenty of them during the winter of 1805 when they were hunkered down at Astoria. In fact, the word "Oregon" may actually be a variant of the Cree Indian pronunciation of the word "ooligan," and the source for the modern word "eulachon," according to the original 2007 petition from the Cowlitz Tribe of southwestern Washington.
Federal biologists say the Pacific smelt is made up of two populations--the listed one runs from northern California all the way up the BC coast to the Nass River.
NOAA Fisheries said the population is declining throughout its range, despite severe cuts in commercial and recreational harvests. The agency said projected impacts from climate change--mainly reduced river flows, could have a negative effect on spawning success. The smelt are also at risk from being harvested in shrimp fisheries off the West Coast and BC.
Eulachon harvests bounced back in 2001 and were relatively high through 2004, but have dropped significantly since then. Warm ocean conditions may have played a big role in the decline, said the petition, but it also noted that "variability and/or trends in ocean conditions are for the most part unpredictable and are not able to be manipulated by humans. This leads to confusion about the primary causes and consequences of population declines and what we can do (or cease doing) to restore them."
NMFS turned down a 1999 petition for a formal review of the smelt populations filed by retired WDFW biologist Sam Wright. They said not enough information was available to determine if the Columbia River population was a DPS [Distinct Population Segment]. They also said harvest data didn't provide a reliable measure of abundance, but the stock had shown an ability to rebound, and ocean conditions probably played the most important role in controlling abundance.
The feds will now determine if protective measures are needed and estimate the smelt's critical habitat. -B. R.
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