Commission to Hear Salmon Season Survey

Fish and Game researchers continue to sift through a huge mound of information derived from surveys of anglers who enjoyed this year's extraordinary salmon fishing season. Initial results of the survey will be presented to the Idaho Fish and Game Commission at its November meeting. Information on previous recent salmon seasons was limited because fish numbers were so low that fishing was severely restricted. This year, 11 river sections were opened and almost 44,000 anglers took part in the seasons. Anglers caught an estimated 43,400 hatchery chinook this year. High runoff in 1998 allowed enough water to spill over dams in the Snake and Columbia Rivers to carry good numbers of salmon smolts to the ocean. Good ocean conditions also played a large part in this run. The result in 2001 was an historic run of hatchery-reared chinook. The survey looks at economic and other effects of a large salmon run with 43 questions. About 70.5 percent of the original sample (2,784 anglers) returned a complete and usable information form. "We are happy with the response to the survey by salmon anglers and appreciate their participation," Sharon Kiefer, Anadromous Fisheries Manager, said. "The economic information about the 2001 fishery, combined with the biological information from our creel surveys this past summer, will assist us with future management decisions." Anglers who were sampled were given incentives including a chance to win a salmon art print or a $25 gift certificate to go toward the purchase of any license, tag or permit available from Fish and Game. A Donnelly resident won the salmon print and the gift certificates were won by Idaho and Washington anglers.