469 



PNUCC 



July 22, 1993 



The increased 

 harvest rate flies in 

 the face of the 

 region 's enormous 

 effort to save the 

 Snake River fall 

 Chinook. 



To correct this, 

 PNUCC believes we 

 must change the way 

 the harvest is 

 regulated - both on 

 the river and in the 

 ocean. 



SALMON 



CURRENTS 



Fishing for Trouble: 



Snake River Fall Chinook Threatened 



by Increased Harvest Rates 



Conservationists often say that less is more. But for the Snake 

 River fall chinook salmon, the reverse is true: more is turning 

 out to be less. 



Specifically, more of the threatened fish are expected to return 

 this fall -- but more, way more, are going to end up in the nets 

 and on the hooks of fishermen. Because even though the size of 

 the run is going up, the harvest rate - approved by the National 

 Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) -- is going up even faster. 



An Unwise Harvest 



This year's run of Snake River fall chinook will soon begin the 

 final stretch of a long and difficult journey. These wild salmon 

 were bom far upstream in the Snake River. As juveniles, they 

 navigated down the Snake and the Columbia to the Pacific, 

 where they have spent the last two to five years on a migratory 

 loop that extends as far north as southeastern Alaska. 



Now, nearly ready to spawn, ttiey are remming to the mouth of 

 the Columbia for the final stretch -- back up the rivers to 

 spawning grounds where they will mate, creating future runs of 

 fall chinook. 



The current run is expected to be larger than last year's. That 

 ought to be good news, except for a decision by NMFS, which 

 has responsibility for threatened salmon under the Endangered 

 Species Act. 



One Step Forward, Two Steps Back 



Each year, NMFS issues a Biological Opinion which regulates 

 river and hydro operations as well as harvest rates. The current 

 Biological Opinion g.ves fishermen the green light to catch more 

 of the fall run than last year. So the larger fall chinook run will 

 result in fewer spawning salmon. 



Salmon Currents is published b> ihe Pacific Nonhwest Utilities Conference Committee 

 One Main Place. 101 SW .Main Street. Suite 810. Portland. Oregon 97204 



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