The federal agency charged with guarding the health of Columbia River basin salmon and steelhead populations this week noted 2005's returns have been relatively strong despite what appears to be reduced ocean productivity to nourish those fishes to maturity.
Hatchery-born salmon still are not getting a fair shake in Endangered Species Act decisions, according to a complaint filed Tuesday that challenges 16 ESA listings of West Coast salmon made by NOAA Fisheries.
The fall chinook salmon return to the mouth of the Columbia River next year is expected to dip below 500,000 for the first time since 2000, according to a preliminary forecast issued this week by the Oregon and Washington departments of fish and wildlife.
Comments received from NOAA Fisheries and the Bonneville Power Administration faults the 2005 draft version of the Fish Passage Center's smolt survival study as incomplete in its analysis.
A Seattle-based federal judge last week denied a request from federal attorneys to dismiss a lawsuit that takes to task NOAA Fisheries newly devised strategy for determining the significance of hatchery salmon and steelhead in making Endangered Species Act listing determinations.
A truckload of documents filed with the U.S. District Court last week seek to discredit a previously submitted Columbia River hydrosystem operations plan for the spring and summer of 2006, and substitute plans that federal agencies and others say will provide more benefits for salmon and cost less to implement.
Metal and acoustic barriers will be thrown up and harassment will be an ever-ready option in 2006 as fishery and hydrosystem officials try to unsettle a crowd of California sea lions that has, in recent years, made the Bonneville Dam tailrace their salmon buffet table.
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission Thursday reiterated its support for the Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management Plan as it approved moving certain sections of the plan to an appendix because they are not allowed under state law.
Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig says he claimed a victory for science and thriftiness Monday when the 2006 Energy and Water appropriations bill cleared Congress containing language he had inserted to cut funding for the Fish Passage Center.
Under an alternative offered for comment last week by NOAA Fisheries, 10 stocks of West Coast steelhead would be listed under the Endangered Species Act without their rainbow trout cousins.
A request filed this week in U.S. District Court would in many respects change the federal government's plan for operating the federal Columbia River basin hydrosystem to benefit fish, power generation, navigation and irrigation.
Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire this week announced that
Washington State is on target to have all six of its regional salmon
recovery plans submitted to the federal government by the end of this year.
New reports from the lower Deschutes River and the Oregon coast show that
the tiny but highly invasive New Zealand mudsnail continues to increase its foothold in Oregon.
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission has extended the public comment period for revisions to the Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management Plan to ensure that those with an interest in wolves have sufficient time to provide input.
A joint 11-page report released last week by two independent science panels chides Columbia Basin fishery experts and policy makers for failing thus far to develop a plan for evaluating critical uncertainties -- including possible negative effects -- associated with supplementing natural spawning salmon and steelhead populations with hatchery fish.
Actions ranging from the installation of a new fish passage device at Ice Harbor Dam to restoration and protection of habitat are described in federal agencies' fourth annual report on efforts to improve survival of Columbia River basin salmon and steelhead stocks.
A trio of Northwest congressmen exploring options to improve Columbia River adult salmon survival returned again and again to the topic of harvest during discussions with constituents this week in Vancouver, Wash.
The Fish Passage Center has released the annual 2005 “final draft” of the “Comparative Survival Study” that looks at smolt-to-adult return (SAR) data from electronically marked (PIT-tagged) Columbia River spring/summer chinook and summer steelhead during the years 1994 to 2003.
The future of Columbia/Snake river salmon restoration efforts drew comments ranging from gentle encouragement to threats Wednesday during closing exchanges at a Boise conference.
Idaho's governor this week said regional interests needed to put the spurs to the federal government to produce a realistic salmon recovery plan and rein in commercial fishing practices that he says are blunting recovery efforts.
The Columbia River Compact on Monday gave non-Indian commercial gillnetters the green light to pursue another slice of their allowed "impacts" on the river's upriver bright fall chinook salmon run.
After reaching agreement on a variety of vexing issues, a Northwest Power and Conservation Council committee this week moved forward a proposed process for reviewing and selecting Columbia Basin fish and wildlife projects for funding.
White sturgeon are almost exclusively the victims of the so-called "ghost nets" that shroud the bottom of the Columbia River's Bonneville, The Dalles and John Day dam reservoirs.
A University of Idaho professor and policy analyst found fault with an economic study that says restored salmon runs could net the Idaho economy $544 million per year.
Both tribal and non-Indian commercial fishers are bumping up against their limits following outings this past week, meaning they will soon join lower Columbia River sport anglers in abstaining from further harvest of returning fall chinook salmon.
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