Aren't All Chinook Endangered?

How can we fish for chinook salmon this spring when Idaho salmon are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act? A number of residents have posed this question to Fish and Game since a fishing season for chinook was announced last month. The answer is that not all Idaho chinook salmon are "listed" under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We fish only for "unlisted," hatchery-produced salmon and we only allow salmon fishing when there are enough adult salmon to meet hatchery and conservation needs first. The salmon we fish for are surplus to the needs of hatchery and conservation programs and cannot be used for recovery efforts. In addition, salmon fisheries must be conducted so that listed salmon are protected. We do this by limiting the time, place, and possibly the number of hatchery fish harvested. The decision whether to list Idaho's chinook salmon runs (populations) under the ESA was based on the origin of the fish and their ability to contribute to the recovery of native runs. Only the native wild chinook and some hatchery-produced chinook of native origin in the Salmon River drainage are listed as threatened (not endangered). Hatchery and naturally-produced spring chinook in the Clearwater River and hatchery fish produced by the Rapid River Hatchery for the Little Salmon River fishery were not listed because they were derived from non-native stocks. Non-native stocks were used in the Clearwater because Lewiston Dam, which stood from the 1920s to 1973, eliminated the wild run. The Rapid River Hatchery program was started from non-native stocks as mitigation for salmon runs eliminated by the Hells Canyon dams. These non-native stocks are not considered essential for recovery because they are genetically and ecologically different from the native stocks. Hatchery fish, in general, even when derived from native stocks, are less able than wild fish to reproduce in the wild and contribute to self-sustaining, naturally-reproducing populations. All of IdahoÁ_s salmon and steelhead hatcheries were built to replace fishing opportunities lost to the construction and operation of hydropower dams. The original and only intent of the hatchery programs was to produce salmon and steelhead for anglers. Two hatchery mitigation programs exist in Idaho. The Idaho Power Company funds hatcheries as mitigation for construction of the three dams on the Snake River on the Idaho/Oregon border (Brownlee, Oxbow, and Hells Canyon). The federal government, through the Lower Snake River Compensation Plan, funds hatchery programs in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington as mitigation for losses caused by the four lower Snake River dams in Washington (Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose, and Lower Granite). The continued decline of wild salmon and steelhead runs as the result of dams has forced the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and other agencies and tribes in the Snake River basin to explore the possibility of using hatchery programs to preserve or restore native runs. These attempts have not been successful. Why donÁ_t we just use the salmon to fill up vacant habitat? Genetics and ecological characteristics play a big role in where hatchery fish can be used "safely" and effectively. Salmon have been in Idaho for at least 10,000 years. During that time, our salmon have become locally adapted to the various environmental conditions specific to the rivers they inhabit. The result is that different salmon stocks have unique characteristics such as spawn timing and location, migration distance, and developmental schedule (hatching, growth, and migration timing). Because of the diversity of habitat in Idaho, one of the most diverse groupings of salmon in the Columbia Basin exists in Idaho. These wild native stocks are vital to recovery of salmon populations. Therefore it is imperative that we protect the unique characteristics of wild native fish. Mixing hatchery and wild fish can dilute the genetic character and fitness of wild stocks. It is possible to Á¤swampÁ¬ wild populations with hatchery fish. For these reasons we are cautious in our use of hatchery fish where wild populations are involved. We are using hatchery salmon for conservation purposes in as many areas as possible. Hatcheries have existed in the Columbia Basin for about 100 years. In general, hatchery fish have not been successful in restoring self-sustaining, naturally-reproducing runs. More recently, hatchery fish of native origin have been used in tightly controlled experiments to determine if they can enhance or "supplement" naturally spawning populations. These "supplementation" experiments have been going on in Idaho for about 10 years. It does not appear that supplementation has been effective. Poor survival of young salmon and steelhead associated with the dams in the lower Snake River remains the primary obstacle for recovery of IdahoÁ_s naturally spawning populations. Why are these hatchery fish in surplus? Are there surplus wild fish this year? Most of the hatchery fish available for harvest in 2001 migrated to the ocean in 1999. These are the progeny of hatchery fish that returned and were spawned in 1997. A combination of unusually good smolt migration conditions in 1999ãohigh natural flows and spill at the damsãoand ocean conditions that were beneficial for smolts reaching the ocean resulted in good smolt-to-adult survival. This is a familiar pattern for IdahoÁ_s salmon and steelhead; when natural runoff is high, smolt-to-adult survival rates are high and result in improved adult returns. So the salmon raised in IdahoÁ_s hatcheries were healthy, they had good migration conditions to get to the ocean, the ocean conditions were good for salmon survival, and they are now returning to Idaho in greater numbers than any time in the last 40 years. In fact, this year more than twice as many spring chinook salmon have returned than in any year since 1961. Although IdahoÁ_s wild salmon will also benefit from good migration and ocean conditions, all wild populations remain at dangerously low levels. It will take consistent survival improvement to put our wild fish on the road to recovery. Comment can be provided to IDFG via regular mail, e-mail, or phone. The same goes for just getting answers to questions about salmon! Department regional offices will also have information on this issue. Regular mail: Salmon Seasons, IDFG, P.O. Box 25, Boise, Idaho, 83707. E-mail: idfg-staff@idfg.state.id.us Phone: (208) 334-3791, ask for Bill Horton or another salmon biologist.