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Columbia River SalmonOpportunities for Success

•Presentation to the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association by the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission

•June 28, 2011

CRITFC Mission Statement:

To ensure a unified voice in the overall management of the

fishery resources, and as managers, to protect reserved treaty rights

through the exercise of the inherent sovereign powers of the tribes.

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To ensure a unified voice in the overall management of the fishery

resources, and as managers, to protect reserved treaty rights

through the exercise of the inherent sovereign powers of the

tribes.

Tribal success stories• Clearwater Coho Restoration• Umatilla Chinook and Coho Restoration• Yakima River Spring Chinook and Coho• Snake River Fall Chinook

Nez Perce coho Salmon outplanting

The Future of Our Salmon - Fish passage Toxic Pollutants Hatchery Policy Phasing out mass-

marking and Mark-selective fisheries

Managing Predation

Climate Change Columbia River

Treaty De-Listing Recovery Goal

timeline Who Cares?

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Improving Water Quality through Toxin Reduction

The Columbia Basin lacks clear policies and resources to reduce toxins

Tribes appreciate PNWA’s support of Columbia River Restoration Act in the last Congress

Oregon adopts highest standards in the nation

Perception is reality

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15 Tribes Forge a Columbia River Treaty Coalition 15 Columbia River Basin Tribes with management

authority come together to identify “Common Views” with Treaty

15 Tribes continue to meet and coordinate, sharing information and collaborating to the extent practicable on common issues

15 Tribes could initiate joint consultation with agencies on common issues while reserving right to one on one consultations

Columbia River Treaty – Key elements

U.S. and Canada signed the Treaty in 1961, it came into force in 1964; it continues until a party withdraws

Earliest that the Treaty can be terminated is 2024 with a ten-year notice in 2014

Canada agrees to build 3 storage dams, U.S. gets to build Libby Dam

The U.S. and Canada coordinate Hydroelectric Power Production, Canada gets share of power produced because of its new storage

U.S. paid for 60 years of guaranteed flood control. Some flood control obligation survives the Treaty, but comes at uncertain terms and an additional unknown cost after 2024 9

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Columbia River Treaty Goals

Provide tribal technical expertise to treaty analysis Expand U.S. treaty benefits Ecosystem-based management co-equal to power

and flood risk management objectives Restore fisheries throughout basin over time Seek share in benefits of coordinated system

operations

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Managing Pinnipeds Lethal Removal program has been successful Tribes strongly support HR 946 – the Endangered

Salmon Predation Prevention Act

Need Senate support for a companion bill, particularly Washington and Oregon members

Support a comprehensive review and re-authorization of the Marine Mammal Protection Act

De-listing of Eastern Stellar Sea Lion Population

Humane Society & litigants concerns can be addressed

What will Redden do? Judge James A.

Redden’s BiOp ruling is imminent.

Tribes speculate that the judge will keep Accords and other programs intact

Region should collaboratively support Accords, CRFM, PCSRF and Mitchell Act programs

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Hatchery Reform -The Tribal View Rhetoric is obscuring

fact – and opportunity Tribes want to fully

utilize the hatchery as a recovery tool.

Secure an adequate Preferred Alternative in NOAA’s Mitchell Act DEIS

Galbreath critique of scientific literature on hatchery affects

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Salmon Recovery and Hatchery Programs:

Two Different Approaches• Harvest Hatchery (Mass Marking and Mark Selective

Fisheries): Designed to keep hatchery and wild fish separated Promotes harvest of hatchery fish and avoids wild fish Wild fish mortalities occur too, often multiple catch and release Provides access to fish for non-Indian fishers under ESA restrictions Is not a recovery program, does not lead to recovery• Supplementation (Conservation) Programs: Designed to keep hatchery and wild fish as similar as possible;

combined with habitat restoration/protection. Tribes prefer these fish not be mass marked for selective fishing Under careful design, leads to rebuilding and possible ESA de-listing

Competing science to support each approach.What’s wrong with both approaches at the

same time?

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Salmon Recovery and Hatchery Programs:

What does success look like? Should success be defined by the number of wild fish returns?

…hatchery? Who defines “wild” fish? Is an ESA de-listing goal enough fish? Full rebuilding to a significant harvest for treaty Indian and non-

Indian fisheries? Is there a shared vision in the Columbia River Basin on what

success looks like? What is an appropriate response for hatchery programs?

• Resource struggle between non-Indian and tribal fishery interests.

• Competing uses of existing hatchery facilities and funding.

• If we cannot agree on what success looks like or how to get there, we will continue to struggle for increased

federal funding.

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Fall chinook estimated escapementto Lower Granite Dam

First adult returnsfrom supplementation

NOAA’s viability abundance threshold (3,000 adults)

draft management escapement goal (39,100 adults)

Let’s start the de-listing conversation Snake River Fall Chinook

may be the first stock to be de-listed

Region should lead the discussion on metrics and conditions for de-listing

Avoid de-listing through legislation e.g. wolves

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THANK YOUQuestions?For more information visit www.critfc.org