186 



John Day Pool Drawdown Proposal: 



"The Team has considered, and rejected as a recommended recovery action, the current plans 

 to drawdown John Day Reservoir from minimum irrigation pool (MIP) to MOP. The survival 

 benefits of drawing down John Day Pool a few feet (maybe only two or three feet) from MIP 

 to MOP are too small to be reliably determined. " 



□ The Team believes the proposed John Day Drawdown will not be a significant recovery 

 action for ESA-listed Snake River salmon because of the relatively small change in 

 elevations (and thus velocities) from the current operation. 



□ Aside from any travel time benefits that might accrue from a drawdown, there may be 

 adverse impacts to juvenile fish passage. 



CRA Position - CRA agrees with the Bevcm Plan. 



Harvest: 



"The Team concludes that modification of harvest methods for Snake River salmon and other 

 weak natural stocks and reduction of harvest rates on faU chinook are vital to an early start 

 for the recovery process... While the Team accepts with reservations the position of some fishery 

 agencies that in-river fisheries can be very specifically controlled to meet harvest rate goals 

 using gear, area, and time restrictions, this is true only for aggregated stocks. The present 

 regime is geared to targets that do not protect listed stocks satisfactorily. " 



□ The Team recommends that fishery managers establish an exploitation rate schedule over 

 all fisheries affecting Snake River fall chinook. The allowable exploitation rate in any 

 given year should be directly linked to measures of recent productivity and escapement 

 In the short term, the rate should be reduced from current levels. 



Q In order to permit savings firom ocean and lower river harvests of Snake River fall 

 chinook that are passed through to spawning areas, harvests in Zones 1-6 will have to be 

 curtailed or shifted to terminal areas and/or selective gear. 



□ To minimize the economic hardship caused by harvest reduction measures, a buy-back 

 program should be established to offer a fair price for purchase of licenses, boats, and gear 



□ By 2002, the ocean troll fishery harvest of Snake River fall chinook should be reduced 

 by 50% relative to recent years by gear and quota reduction, and all in-river fishing should 

 be restriaed to approved gear capable of live capture and release of listed species with 

 maximum mortality rates specified by managing agencies. This is expected to require 

 phasing out gill net fishing by that date. _ 



□ The US and Canada must reach agreement to reduce Canadian harvests of fall chinook 

 off West- Vancouver Island. 



CRA Position - The CRA agrees with the Bevan Plan, but supports immediate actions that 

 will curtail commercial harvest of threatened salmon. 



