UNIT 12 



PACIFIC COAST SALMON FISHERIES 



56 



INTRODUCTION 



Salmon are fished commercially and 

 recreationally in Puget Sound, Oregon and 

 Washington coastal rivers, the Columbia 

 River, California's Klamath River, and in 

 the ocean off the three states. These spe- 

 cies have long been harvested— indeed 

 since time immemorial by many Indian 



tribes. And today, west coast salmon man- 

 agement is very complex, involving the 

 (J.S.-Canada Pacific Salmon Commission 

 (PSC), state fishery agencies, Indian tribes, 

 and the Pacific Fishery Management Coun- 

 cil (PFMC). 



SPECIES AND STATUS 



Five species of Pacific salmon are caught 

 in the coastal fisheries of Washington, Or- 

 egon, and California: Chinook, coho, 

 sockeye, pink, and chum. Pacific salmon 

 spend their adult life (1-7 years) at sea and 

 return to freshwater streams to spawn. 

 From their freshwater spawning grounds, 

 the young salmon may migrate thousands 

 of miles out to sea and into international 

 waters beyond the 200-mile U.S. Exclusive 

 Economic Zone (EEZ). 



Some Pacific coast salmon catches dur- 

 ing 1960-90 fluctuated widely (Fig. 12-1, 

 12-2, 12-3), largely due to varied survival 

 rates. For example, El Nino, an unusual 

 warm ocean condition, devastated 

 chinook and coho salmon in 1983-85, and 

 both species have had poor survival in 

 recent years. 



Commercial salmon landings have lately 

 been valued at about $140 million at dock- 

 side. If sport-caught fish were valued at 

 $20.00 each (a conservative figure to 



many economists), the average recrea- 

 tional catch for 1987-90 would be worth 

 over $24 million. Some economists think 

 a substantially higher value per fish would 

 be more realistic. 



Stocks and harvests of some salmon 

 species can be improved (Table 12-1). 

 Though pink, chum, and sockeye salmon 

 catches probably will not change much 

 from recent yearly averages, better coho 

 survival could help them approach their 

 long-term average production. After excel- 

 lent survival rates and returns in 1988, 

 chinook production has dropped dramati- 

 cally, and reduced returns and catches are 

 expected this year (1991). 



Several agencies hope to double produc- 

 tion of certain chinook stocks. Still, for all 

 five species of salmon, there is more fish- 

 ing gear than needed to harvest them, and 

 strict limitations are required to protect the 

 stocks. Thus, all species are listed as over- 

 utilized. 



Figure 12-1— Recreational and 

 commercial chinook salmon 

 landings (thousands of fish) in 

 Oregon, Washington, and 

 California, 1960-90. 



