Nisqually Fall Chinook Stock Management Plan Overview, David Troutt

The Path Forward to Local Adaptation and Sustainability

Nisqually Fall Chinook Stock Management Plan


Hatcheries

Habitat Hatcheries

Harvest Hydropower

Factors Affecting Decline


Factors affecting the biological status of Nisqually Chinook

• Loss of critical

habitat

features.


Forestry

Development


• Hydroelectric

facilities

historically

caused

dramatic

changes in

streamflow

patterns.



• Introduction of outside genetics from

hatcheries, outplanting.



• Decades of

overfishing -

fisheries not

managed to

ensure natural

production

escapement

until 2000.


Nisqually – resulting impacts on biological status of the stock

• Probable extinction of wild native Nisqually

Chinook genetics.

• Current stock is not locally adapted, same

genetics as hatchery stock.

• Current habitat supports reduced

productivity, capacity, and life history

diversity.


• Nisqually Chinook Recovery Plan released in August 2001

• Submitted to the regional Puget Sound Chinook

Endangered Species Recovery Plan in 2005

• Adopted as official plan by the federal govt. in 2007

• Using adaptive management process the plan is updated

yearly and resubmitted to the region and federal science panel

for review

Nisqually Chinook RecoveryPlan

August 2001

Prepared by the

Nisqually Chinook Recovery Team


Strategy for Success :Outlines a path to meet 15 year,

50 year and 100 year goals

Integrated Approach:

1. Habitat Action Plan

2. Hatchery Operation Guidelines

3. Harvest Management4. Adaptive Management Strategy - plan is dynamic and flexible as new information is available, annual reports and meetings ensure continual reevaluation of the plan


Clear, specific stock goals

• Based on biological status of the stock.

• Based on specific community goals.

• Make a significant contribution to

recovery of ESU.

• Clear prioritization of goals when they

might be in conflict.


Nisqually Goals – long term (next 100 years)

• Assure natural production of fall Chinook in

perpetuity by providing high quality functioning

habitat and by promoting the development of

locally adapted, functioning populations.

• Assure sustainable harvest opportunities.

• Provide significant contributions to ecosystem

functions

• Secure and enhance natural production of all

salmonids

• Assure the economic, cultural, and social benefits

are perpetually sustained.


Priority Areas and Projects

Estuary Restoration

Mainstem Protection

Ohop Restoration

Mashel Restoration

Hatchery Stray Reduction

Goals

Estuary Restoration (Acres)

Mainstem Protection(% Protected)

Ohop Restoration (Miles)

Mashel Restoration (Miles)

90

Hatchery Stray Reduction(% Hatchery Origin Strays)

30

1

6

3

840

10

Progress to Date

Estuary Restoration (Acres)

Mainstem Protection(% Protected)

Ohop Restoration (Miles)

Mashel Restoration (Miles)

6

140

700

Goal

Projected

70

20

2

1

900

1

5

Nisqually Priority Areas:Progress by end of 2011

2.5

0.5

Hatchery Stray Reduction(% Hatchery Origin Strays)

1010

Nisqually Estuary Restoration:Over 900 acres restored since 2002

Nisqually Estuary

June 2009

Nisqually Estuary

March 2010

• Result of this work – 60% increase in fall Chinook potential

-

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Locally adapted Hatchery dominated

Abu

ndance

Recovery Plan

Current 2010

Baseline 2009

Baseline 2001

Unrealized Potential


• Since 2001 – colonization– Fully seed available habitat– Increase abundance and natural

production


• We are now ready and committed to moving away from colonization to local adaptation– Require changes to harvest management– Effective operation of a weir– Modification of hatchery program to support

natural population



Nisqually Fall Chinook Terminal Area Management PlanJanuary 2011Prepared by the

Nisqually Chinook Recovery Team

• Framework contains three key elements:– Clear, specific conservation and harvest

goals– Monitoring and Evaluation program– Annual process to review, adapt, and

implement


• Conservation goals– Ensure natural production of fall Chinook

by providing high quality habitat– Achieve a self-sustaining, locally

adapted natural population


• Harvest goals– Terminal Treaty net fishery: 10,000-

15,000 annual Chinook harvest– Ensure a sustainable sport fishing

opportunity targeting hatchery fish


• Key Indicators– Habitat conditions– Abundance, distribution, and

composition of escapement– Hatchery brood stock composition– Annual estimates of catch by all

fisheries for hatchery and natural origin


• Management Action Response– Key to success: timely inclusion of

information– Annual audit of key assumptions– Guide decisions and plan activities for

coming year


• Nisqually Chinook Annual Review– Review previous year’s performance– Update and review status & trend

analysis– Update key assumptions from M&E

results– Apply the decision rules to generate

targets for upcoming season– Develop annual action plan for harvest,

hatcheries, and habitat


• Decision Rules– Harvest Management

• Maintain high harvest rate on hatchery fish• Reduce terminal area harvest rates on natural fish,

consistent with recovery• Manage all fisheries not to exceed recovery

exploitation rate for natural fish

– Hatchery Management• Modify hatchery program to support conservation

– Escapement management• Utilize mainstem weir to manage escapement

composition


• 2011 Action Plan – transition from colonization to local adaptation– Agree on actions for hatchery, harvest, habitat,

and weir operations


• This represents a commitment to:– Integration of Hs– Local adaptation– Contribution to the ESU– Transparency of decision making– Innovative approach to adaptive

management



Nisqually Fall Chinook Stock Management Plan Overview, David Troutt

Documents

hatchery stock

official plan

current stock

specific stock goals

nisqually goals long

adaptive management

current habitat

specific community goals