future of our salmon conference portland, or oct 17, 2012

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Future of Our Salmon Conference Portland, OR Oct 17, 2012. Why Artificial Propagation?. Gary James, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation DNR, Fisheries Program Manager. Why Art. Prop. – Topics Covered. Columbia Basin habitat & salmon survival - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Future of Our Salmon Conference Portland, OR Oct 17, 2012 Why Artificial Propagation?

Gary James, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian ReservationDNR, Fisheries Program Manager

Why Art. Prop. Topics CoveredColumbia Basin habitat & salmon survivalSocial-Economic-Treaty ImpactsFish recovery standards Traditional, Ecological, Cultural & Science ValuesPurposes and Types of HatcheriesRight and Wrong Hatchery PracticesDefining Hatchery Program SuccessSurvival Benefits of Hatchery SupplementationRisk vs. Benefit - An impact or a Recovery Tool?Sturgeon, Lamprey and Freshwater Mussels

2What has happened to Columbia Basin habitat? Over 1,000 dams have been constructed since the late 1800s.

There are 13 mainstem Columbia and Snake River dams.

Only 55% of once-available habitat is still accessible today.

About 65% of remaining accessible mainstem Columbia and Snake River habitat has been transformed to reservoirs/pools

Common tributary limiting factors due to floodplain development are poor water quantity/quality and lack of stream channel complexity.

What has happened to Columbia Basin salmon & steelhead? Major loss in habitat quantity

Major loss in habitat quality

Two spawners often dont replace themselves (deficit returns)

23 populations have become extinct

176 populations are ESA-listed as threatened or endangered

61% of accessible areas contains ESA-listed populations Past runs of 15M are now about 1.5M (about 80% hatchery) Social-Economic-Treaty Impacts Once productive usual & accustomed fishing areas closed

Reduced harvest in remaining open areas

Former Native American harvest of 4-6M now about .25M

Priority ceremonial & subsistence needs for fish, a critical first food, is sometimes not met

Reduced economic input from sport & commercial fisheries

Fish Population Trajectories >1:1 Positive Rebuilding Trend

Trajectory of Fish Recovery ProgramsPlus Full HarvestESA DelistMin. Viable ThresholdSubbasin Plan GoalsFish Recovery Levels/Standards RecoveryStandardObjectives AchievedNumericExampleNatural ProductionHarvest1Avoid ExtinctionNoNo2+2Min Viable Pop ThresholdNoNo200-5003ESA DelistingNoSome1,000-1,5004Full Habitat UtilizationYesSome2,0005Full Habitat Plus HarvestYesYes5,000Using Traditional, Ecological, Cultural & Science Values Tribes utilize all these to develop and implementprograms addressing holistic needs:

Goals focused on First Food abundance for traditional/cultural/religious useTarget maintenance of harvest opportunities as per treaty right Target higher escapement/habitat utilization for full ecological function Implement comprehensive fish restoration strategies - all H/gravel-to-gravelEmphasis on habitat improvements along with hatchery supplementation where necessary to support rebuildingSeek benefits of using hatchery tool while minimizing risks to wild fishCTUIR DNR/Fisheries Missions & River VisionDNR: To protect, restore, and enhance the First Foods water, salmon, deer, cous, and huckleberry - for the perpetual cultural, economic, and sovereign benefit of the CTUIR. We will accomplish this utilizing traditional ecological and cultural knowledge and science to inform: 1) population and habitat management goals and actions; and 2) natural resource policies and regulatory mechanisms.Fisheries: To provide sustainable harvest opportunities for aquatic species of the first food order by protecting, conserving, and restoring native aquatic populations and their habitats.

Umatilla River Vision: The Umatilla basin includes a healthy river capable of providing First Foods that sustain the continuity of the Tribes culture. This vision requires a river that is dynamic, and shaped not only by physical and biological processes, but the interactions and interconnections between those processes. 11 Fish Passage ImprovementsInstream Flow EnhancementArtificial Propagation Salmon ReintroductionWatershed Protection and RestorationFloodplain Habitat Enhancement Harvest ManagementMonitoring and Evaluation

Comprehensive Restoration StrategyPurpose of Hatcheries To compensate for impacts of reduced or lost fish production and productivity due to human actions (dam construction, habitat degradation, etc.)

Recovery tool to help rebuild natural production (wild fish nurseries)

Mitigation tool to help achieve harvestable populations

Hatcheries dont fix factors that reduced productivity

We dont have low fish productivity because of hatcheries, we have hatcheries because of low productivity

Hatchery Program Types 1.Harvest Augmentation ProgramsFish on the table - production for harvest to replace lost natural production

2. Reintroduction ProgramsFish in habitat and fish on the table - production for harvest and natural spawning in areas that had experienced extirpation

3. Supplementation ProgramsRebuild natural production and fish on the table - production to increase natural production and harvest for depressed populations

What Have We Learned? Wrong & Right Hatchery PracticesPast hatchery management mistakes:

Wrong purpose for hatchery type (try to supplement natural production with a harvest program)

- broodstock maladapted for target location

- select for specific size or run timing

- inappropriate juvenile release location

- hatchery tool still tainted due to past mistakes

What Have We Learned? Wrong & Right Hatchery PracticesSound hatchery management practices:

Select suitable source stock

For supplementation programs, integrate H & N components- select broodstock from cross section of run

- integrate natural & hatchery origin returns into both broodstock and natural spawning population

- acclimate juveniles to natural production areas

- monitor program to inform adaptive management

Location of Mitchell Act HatcheriesMitigation for upriver impacts provided fisheries in lower Columbia

Hatchery/Satellite Facilities in the Grande Ronde Basin Satellite acclimation/release facilities in natural production locations provide in-place/in-kind supplementation

Lookingglass HatcheryUpper Grande Ronde RiverCatherineCreekLostine RiverDefining Hatchery Program Success For Tribes, putting fish on the table or maintaining or increasing harvest opportunities in all usual and accustomed treaty fishing areas is an important success principle for all 3 types of hatchery programs.

Increasing spawners and rebuilding natural production to counter the effects of habitat impacts is another success principle.

Accomplish above using best hatchery management practices to minimize genetic impacts (accept some risk).

Lack of success = continued population declines, inability to delist or more extinctions.

Tribal Restoration Plan life history survival analysis Most impacted life history stages (~80% reduction) are:- egg to smolt survival (in tributaries)- juvenile passage (downstream survival in mainstem)

Overall adult to adult returns have changed from:- 10-20 fold return pre-development era to - Near 1:1 spawner-to-spawner replacement level

When populations are near replacement environmental circumstances become paramount

Survival Benefits of Hatchery SupplementationThe highest rate of natural mortality in the salmon lifecycle occurs in the egg-to-smolt stage (up to 90%)

Artificial propagation can reduce egg-to-smolt loss to ~10%

Although naturally spawning hatchery fish often produce fewer smolts/redd than wild spawners, the overall adult return from the supplementation program is higher.

Therefore, a reduced relative reproductive success (RRS) or recruits per spawner (R:S) may not be evidence that supplementation treatment is not working (or is working to the detriment of the natural population).

Supplementation Benefits Simple Concept (one fish two fish) Spawners R:S Return

Unsupplemented 100 .95 95

Supplemented 200 .75 150

(Supplementation)Recruits per Spawner (R:S) ComparisonReplacementHatchery Benefit vs. Risk(recovery tool or impact?)

Benefits:Demographic boost to natural spawning population

Avoid extinction, ESA listing or possibly delist

Reestablish fisheries in traditional locations

Risk of not using tool:Continue deficit returns

Continue low natural production

Continue low/no harvest

Risk of using tool:Reduced genetic diversity

Reduced productivity (RRS & RS)

Tribal Approach: Seek benefits of using hatchery tool while minimizing risks to wild fishSturgeon, Lamprey, Freshwater Musselsalso need artificial propagation help SturgeonOnce-anadromous populations now exist in fragmented poolsChange from river to pool habitat has limited juvenile recruitmentAdult populations cannot be sustained at robust/harvestable levels

LampreyAn estimated 30-50% of adult lamprey are lost at each mainstem damPopulations extirpated or severely declined in upriver tributaries Tribes have initiated adult translocation and are planning artificial prop.

Freshwater MusselsHabitat degradation in mainstem and tributaries has also caused extirpation or severe declines in most subbasins Once main habitat issues are addressed, mussels will need to be reintroduced

Questions?

Protecting & Enhancing First Foods Revival of Traditional Fisheries Chart12315248058821042472589142216675907241111591224727694921298191447229451290342387515311.3340129920812.2257101424771.823186217651.8302113518862.1224215128843410255037005500

1:1 Replacement Line