ColumbiaColumbia River Fisheries ManagementRiver Fisheries ManagementEstimating Effort, Catch, Estimating Effort, Catch,

and ESA Impacts in Recreational Fisheriesand ESA Impacts in Recreational Fisheries

ColumbiaColumbia River Fisheries ManagementRiver Fisheries ManagementRecreational FisheriesRecreational Fisheries

Responsibilities:

Estimate angler effort in Columbia River from Buoy 10 to OR/WA border

Estimate angler effort in Willamette River to Falls

Estimate catch by species (kept and released) and location

Sample landed catch for biological data

Estimate impacts to listed stocks

Make fishery recommendations to fishery managers

ColumbiaColumbia River Fisheries ManagementRiver Fisheries ManagementRecreational FisheriesRecreational Fisheries

Statistical Creel Program:• Long-term

• Willamette 1946• Columbia 1968

• Developed by Dr. Overton and Dr. Land; OSU -Dept. of Statistics

• Modified in 1986 for species-specific estimates

• Joint Oregon and Washington

• Approximately 15-20 samplers

• Based on random / unbiased sampling

• Three main components:EffortCatchBiological data

EFFORTEFFORT

Aerial Flights• Count bank rods (OR & WA) and boats by river section (1-10)• ~80 midday flights/year (6-12 per month; February – October)

• Weekdays and weekends • Computer model expands for non-observed hours based on effort profiles developed from 1969-1983• Model incorporates tide, weather, and water conditions• Average daily count expanded by day-type for # days in month

Angler Interviews• Date, interview location, river section, angler type, number of anglers in party, start-interview-quit times, catch dataBoat Survey• Weekly on-the-water survey throughout year to supplement creel data and determine state of origin

N

EnlargedArea

Lewis River

Cowlitz River

Kalama River

I-5 Bridge

Washougal River

Willamette River

Sandy River

Clatskanie River

Bonneville Dam(River Mile 146)

Oregon

Washington

Astoria Bridge

10

9 8

7

6

5

4

32 1

Pac

if ic

Oc e

an

Figure 1. Recreational Sampling Sections on the Columbia River Below Bonneville Dam

Buoy 10

Estimating Catch

Goal is to sample 20% of kept fishGoal is to sample 20% of kept fish

Angler catch is based onAngler catch is based on::•• Boat angler interviews (complete)Boat angler interviews (complete)

-- Catch rate = sum of catch by species / sum of Catch rate = sum of catch by species / sum of total angler hourstotal angler hours

•• Bank angler interviews (incomplete)Bank angler interviews (incomplete)-- Catch rate = sum of catch by species / sum of Catch rate = sum of catch by species / sum of hours fished from start to interview timehours fished from start to interview time

•• Collected data includes:Collected data includes:-- River sectionRiver section-- # salmonids caught, kept, and released# salmonids caught, kept, and released

(adults and jacks by species)(adults and jacks by species)-- # sturgeon kept and released by size# sturgeon kept and released by size-- other catchother catch

•• Computer model generates weekly or monthly Computer model generates weekly or monthly harvest estimates for each angler type and river harvest estimates for each angler type and river section based on observed catch rate and total section based on observed catch rate and total efforteffort

•• Total harvest = sum of individual estimates Total harvest = sum of individual estimates

Estimated recreational fall Chinook catch and number sampled, 2000-2006

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Estimated Catch # Sampled

ANGLER TRIPS CHINOOK STEELHEAD COHO STURGEONRiver

Section Total Salmonid Sturgeon Shad Adults Jacks Kept Rel'd Cutthroat Adults Jacks Whites Greens

1 9,834 445 9,389 139 3 12 2,944

2 2,471 1,716 755 43 4 347 12 91

3 455 455 45

4 1,011 407 604 28

5 963 171 792 105

6 666 209 457 9 9 9 90

7 647 566 81 71 5

8 1,283 445 838 62 41

9 205 127 78

10Private 107 23 84

Charter

Total 17,642 4,109 13,533 191 3 13 62 430 26 3,344

Total Catch & Effort By State

Oregon 9,515 1,751 7,764 145 3 2 216 8 2,131

8,127 2,358 5,769 46 11 62 214 18 1,213Washington

Estimating CatchWhy Not Use Punch Cards?Why Not Use Punch Cards?•• Complicated management requires realComplicated management requires real--time data to maximize time data to maximize

recreational opportunityrecreational opportunity•• Harvest estimates based on punch cards tend to be biased highHarvest estimates based on punch cards tend to be biased high• Data not area-specific• No release information

Estimated Oregon LCR sport sturgeon harvest based on punch card and creel data, 1997-2001

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Punch cardsCreel

Biological Data

Data collected includes:

Salmonids

• Fin and maxillary clips

• Visible tags

• Coded-wire tags (CWT)

• Scales

• Skin color and visual stock identification (VSI)

• Marine mammal marks

Sturgeon

• Tags / Tag scars

• Scute marks

Management Considerations

Upriver Spring Chinook• Sliding Scale; ≤ 2.0% impact limit; Allocation set by Commissions• Currently 57% sport / 43% commercial through 2007

Summer Chinook• Not ESA-listed; Managed for escapement• Non-treaty allocation <PR Dam set by Commissions• Currently 50% sport / 50% commercial through 2007

Upriver Bright Fall Chinook• 8.25% impact limit; Allocation via NOF Process per Commissions• Approximately ~50% sport / 50% commercial in recent years

White Sturgeon• 3-year agreement for 2006-2008; 40,000 harvestable / year• Allocated 80% sport / 20% commercial

Management Considerations

Upriver CHS Willamette CHS Non-Indian Impact Limits Non-Indian Allocation<27K <0.5% 24K-39K 100% Sport27K-32K 0.5% 40K-44K 85% Sport33K-54K 1.0% 45K-49K 80% Sport55K-81K 1.5% 50K-59K 76% Sport82K+ 2.0% 60K-75K 73% Sport

76K+ 70% Sport

Recreational Impact CalculationsUpriver Spring Chinook

PreseasonNon-Indian Impact Limit (2.0%) * Sport Allocation (57%)

= Sport upriver CHS impact limit (1.14%) * Upriver run size (100,000)= 11,400 total upriver handle @ release mortality rate (10%)= Total upriver handle (11,400) * preseason upriver CHS mark rate (75%)= 8,550 kept upriver CHS allowed

Inseason10,000 CHS kept + 2,500 CHS released (from creel data)

= 12,500 total CHS handle * 60% upriver stock (from VSI/CWT & inseason mark rate)= 7,500 upriver CHS handle * 10% release mortality / 100,000 upriver run size= 0.75% upriver impact / 1.14% allowable = 66% of allowable upriver CHS guideline

If run size increases to 125,000….= 7,500 * 10% / 125,000 = 0.60% impact / 1.14% allowable = 53% of guideline

If run size drops to 85,000….= 7,500 *10% / 85,000 = 0.88% impact / 1.14% allowable = 77% of guideline

If run size drops to 80,000…= 7,500 *10% / 80,000 = 0.94% impact / 0.855% allowable = 110% of guideline

Recreational Impact Calculations URB Fall Chinook

Preseason (2006 example)Non-Indian URB Impact Limit (8.25%) * Sport Allocation (50%)

= Sport URB impact limit (4.12%) * Upriver bright run size (249,100)= 10,260 recreational URB harvest guideline= 23,000 fall Chinook guideline (based on preseason stock composition)

Fishery # Chinook # URB’s URB impact % URB allocation %Buoy 10 8,500 2,080 0.84% 20%LCR 13,800 7,750 3.11% 76%>Bonneville 700 430 0.17% 4%

23,000 10,260 4.12% 100%

Recreational Impact CalculationsURB Fall Chinook

Inseason (2006 example)Buoy 10 = 1,725 CHF kept @ 50% URB (CWT) = 870 URB kept / 225,900 = 0.39%

LCR = 13,570 CHF kept @ 62% URB (CWT) = 8,420 URB kept / 225,900 = 3.73%

> Bonn = 600 CHF kept @ 53% URB (CWT) = 320 URB kept / 225,900 = 0.14%

15,525 Chinook 9,310 URB kept 4.26%