216 



DRAFT 



In-River Sport Fish Mortality fpaee 23) 



"The data presented suggest that it would be reasonable to assume a 

 minimum loss rate of between three and nine percent for the inriver 

 fisheries of Oregon. ' 



The authors base these loss estimates on steelhead studies in British Columbia, and note 

 that ODFW applies these estimates to Oregon's catch and release program for wild 

 winter steelhead. The ODFW believes that hooking mortality is approximately 3 

 percent when barbless hooks are used (a requirement for all Oregon catch and release 

 streams). Approximately half of Oregon's steelhead streams are now regulated as catch 

 and release fisheries. The authors fail to note that this mortality (3 percent) would only 

 apply to fish that are released, which is currently estimated as about 25 percent of the 

 steelhead catch. 



The major problem with this discussion is the authors application of these hooking 

 mortality losses to the total 1990 Oregon inriver harvest of salmonids. This analysis 

 fails to recognize that the majority of these fisheries are not regulated as catch and 

 release, and that a majority of the fish landed are retained. It is erroneous to apply 

 catch and release hooking mortality estimates to fisheries that are not regulated in this 

 manner, and where fish are not regularly released. The estimates provided in this 

 report are likely to be significantly greater than the actual hooking mortality loss. 



Page 24, 1.1.7. Out-of-state Harvest 



This section attempts to describe oceanic migration patterns of Oregon salmonids, and 

 the interception of these fish by out-of-state marine fisheries. The section is technically 

 weak and most of the conclusions are erroneous. 



^"Few, if any, Oregon-produced summer chinook and spring chinook 

 salmon from the Columbia are caught in out-of-state fisheries. " 



This statement is false. Oregon has no Columbia River summer chinook. Spring 

 chinook are caught in Canadian and Southeast Alaska fisheries (35 % of Willamette 

 spring Chinook from 1980-90 were caught in these northern fisheries). 



In discussing Vreeland (1989) the authors mix relative fishery contribution of "four 

 brood years" with total harvest over a "four-year period." Tliis analysis is not 

 scientifically valid as presented. Furthermore, they err when they claim that the entire 

 Columbia River catch of hatchery fall chinook (21.9% of total) is made by citizens of 

 Oregon. About half of the Columbia catch is by Washington citizens. 



"Thus, 73.4 percent or 749,000 of these Oregon produced fish were lost 

 to harvests outside the state. ' 



Columbia hatchery fall chinook (tules) are produced in seven Washington, three 

 federal, and only three Oregon hatcheries. Most of these hatcheries are federally 

 funded. The Canadian catch of these fish is supported by the U.S. Section to the 

 Pacific Salmon Commission. 



A- 10 



