2015 Lower Columbia River Fall Seine Fishery

In 2013, the Washington and Oregon Fish and Wildlife commissions (Commissions) adopted policies and rules implementing guiding principles and management strategies for a new fisheries framework for lower Columbia River non-Indian commercial fisheries. One policy objective was to develop alternative forms of commercial fishing gear. Washington's policy objectives required the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to "…develop and implement selective-fishing gear and techniques for commercial mainstem fisheries to optimize conservation and economic benefits" (Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission Policy Decision C-3620).

Since 2009, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and WDFW fisheries staff has been evaluating alternative gear types for use in lower Columbia River commercial fisheries. The use of two particular gear types, beach and purse seines, were outlawed in the State of Washington in 1935 and in the State of Oregon in 1950. In recent years, legislation and regulations by both states have allowed for the use of these gear types for research and commercial purposes. The intent of using these two gear types is to allow for a mark-selective fishery where fish are captured alive. The live capture of fish allows for hatchery stocks of salmon, marked with an adipose fin-clip or left ventral fin-clip, to be retained for harvest while allowing for the live release of unmarked (unclipped) salmon and all steelhead. 2015 was the second year that a non-Indian commercial seine fishery was conducted in the lower mainstem Columbia River from Bonneville Dam downstream to the mouth.

The mainstem commercial seine fishery, as with all other non-Indian commercial fisheries on the Columbia River, was established by the Columbia River Compact (Compact). The Compact consists of the directors of ODFW and WDFW or their delegates acting on behalf of the commissions of both agencies.

In 2014, the allowable Endangered Species Act (ESA) impacts on listed stocks of salmon and steelhead for this fishery were taken from impacts set aside for research fisheries. 2015 was the first year the seine fishery utilized ESA impacts set aside for non-Indian commercial fisheries. Under guidance from both Commissions, the allowable ESA impacts on tule fall Chinook salmon for non-Indian fisheries are shared between commercial and recreational fisheries. Sharing guidelines currently allocate no more than 70% of the available impacts for tule fall Chinook salmon to the mainstem recreational fisheries and the balance, no less than 30%, to: "off-channel commercial fisheries; mainstem commercial fisheries that target Upriver Bright fall Chinook; and, if selective gear is developed during the transition period, mainstem commercial fisheries that harvest Washington Lower river Hatchery Chinook to help reduce strays." (Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission Policy Decision C-3620). Because impacts available to the commercial fisheries are limited, the 2015 seine fishery was restricted in scope to provide a reasonable economic return for participants while minimizing the effects on mainstem gillnet opportunities. Pre-season modelling for the seine fishery was based on using 10% or less of the non-Indian commercial impacts for lower Columbia River tule fall Chinook salmon or wild B-run steelhead, whichever was more constraining. This sub-allocation of available commercial impacts for the seine fishery was negotiated with the commercial fishing industry during the North of Falcon process, an annual event where representative from federal, state and tribal governments and the recreational and commercial fishing industries meet.

As in 2014, the seine fishery in 2015 took place during the latter part of August and throughout the month of September. This fishery focused on the return of Columbia River hatchery fall Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) as well as hatchery Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). All unmarked Chinook and Coho salmon were released during this fishery, as well as all steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), sturgeon and other by-catch.

The objectives of the 2015 commercial seine fishery were to:

1. Determine the steelhead to Chinook salmon ratios by gear type and fishing zone.
2.  Estimate the Chinook and Coho salmon catch rates for each gear type under real-world fishing conditions.
3.  Compare the immediate mortalities to those observed during previous research.

In addition to the commercial seine fishery, a research seine study was conducted in 2015 by ODFW using research impacts. This study was conducted below Bonneville Dam in non-Indian commercial fishing Zone 5. The objectives of this research were to determine the stock composition of fall Chinook salmon captured in purse and beach seines in this area, and to determine if the stock composition of the seine-caught fish in Zone 5 differs from the stock composition of fish caught with gillnets in the same area. Results of this study will be presented in a separate report.