Seasonal Movements and Associated Management Implications for Coastal Cutthroat Trout in South Puget Sound. Larry Phillips Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Fred Goetz, and Tom Quinn University of Washington, Christopher Ellings Nisqually Indian Tribe
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Seasonal Movements and Associated Management Implications for Coastal Cutthroat Trout in South Puget
Sound.
Larry Phillips Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife,
Fred Goetz, and Tom QuinnUniversity of Washington,
Christopher EllingsNisqually Indian Tribe
Coastal Cutthroat Trout Management in WA. Important sport fish species in South Puget
Sound.
Historically supported a large harvest fishery (harvest trout).
Overharvest resulted in declines (anecdotal).
WDFW responded with conservative regulations.
1999 catch and release was implemented in all marine areas.
Coastal Cutthroat Trout Stock Status Status Review of Coastal Cutthroat Trout from
Washington, Oregon, and California (NMFS 1999).
Six ESU (Puget Sound, Olympic Peninsula, Southwestern Washington/Columbia River, upper Willamette River, Oregon Coast, and Southern Oregon/California Coasts).
Puget Sound ESU includes all streams in Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
NMFS determined that Puget Sound ESU is not in danger of extinction (decision was based on relatively few data).
2000 Washington State, Salmon and Steelhead Inventory (SaSI), coastal cutthroat (WDFW 2000). Insufficient data were available to assess stock status for 32 of the 40 WA stocks.
Western South Sound Coastal Cutthroat Status is “Unknown” (SaSI, 2000)
Stock Status Challenges Coastal cutthroat trout don’t follow the rules.
Limited incidental observation data and few trap data (size selective, and run-timing).
No harvest /angling effort data available (CRC or fish tickets).
No baseline information (no historical escapement estimates).
Coastal Cutthroat Trout Stock Assessment. 2006 WDFW staff began surveying South Puget Sound
streams thought to support spawning coastal cutthroat.
Objective was/is to develop a set of index surveys (similar to coho and chum stock assessment) to detect changes in relative abundance over time.
Quickly identified Skookum Creek as supporting a “high density” spawning population of anadromous coastal cutthroat trout.
Other index stream include Kennedy Creek (2009), Little Skookum Creek (2008), Swift Creek (2010) and Perry Creek (2010).
2008 2009 20100
1020304050607080
Skookum Creek 6.5-7.5 Skookum Creek 5.7-6.5Little Creek 0-0.4 Kennedy Creek 0-2.3