South Sound Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch Barging Study

Juvenile salmonid survival rates in Puget Sound/Salish Sea are depressed from a historical perspective.

• Anecdotal evidence and results from recent and on-going Salish Sea Marine Survival Project studies (marinesurvivalproject.com) indicate potential areas with increased mortality on juvenile salmonids, among other factors result in decreased numbers of returning adult salmonids, including Coho Salmon.
• Coded-wire tags (CWT) are used coast-wide to determine contribution to state and tribal fisheries and estimate survival rates used by fishery managers to evaluate hatchery programs and fisheries.
• Squaxin Island (Tribal) Net Pen hatchery provides a high value opportunity to fishers for both state and tribes as greater than 80% of adults are caught within Puget Sound. Its location is conducive to fishing as returning Coho Salmon must swim through numerous fisheries and a variety of natural and intentional variables to entice residency so that year-round harvest opportunities exist.
• Very little is understood on the impact of barging juvenile salmon in marine environments while on the contrary, there is ample literature on riverine barging.