BPA Fish and Wildlife FY 1997 Proposal

Section 1. Administrative
Section 2. Narrative
Section 3. Budget

see CBFWA and BPA funding recommendations

Section 1. Administrative

Title of project
Effects of Coded Wire Tagging on the Survival of Spring Chinook

BPA project number   8816300

Business name of agency, institution or organization requesting funding
WDFW

Sponsor type   WA-State/Local Agency

Proposal contact person or principal investigator

BPA technical contact   Steve Levy, EWN 503/230-3914

Biological opinion ID   2.1D.5

NWPPC Program number   7.2B.4

Short description
Differential survival and growth will be measured between tagged and untagged spring chinook.

Project start year   1989    End year   1997

Start of operation and/or maintenance   

Project development phase   Maintenance

Section 2. Narrative

Related projects

Project history
This is the last year of a nine-year project. FY1997 funds will be used to collect the information on the last returning brood year, write a final report, and publish results in peer-reviewed literature.

Biological results achieved
Results showing biological effects of adipose clip/coded-wire tag (CWT) in terms of growth and survival may allow modification of tagging procedures if reduced growth and survival is found.

Annual reports and technical papers
Quarterly and annual reports have been submitted since the start of the project.

Management implications
If reduced growth and/or survival is identified from the tagging process, fishery managers would be able to apply a correction factor so the tagged groups fully represented the untagged counterparts. If effects outweigh the benefits derived from tagging, managers could recommend cessation of tagging. If no effects are found, managers will acquire confidence that information from tagging is valid.

Specific measureable objectives
If null hypothesis is rejected, we will precisely determine the difference between growth and survival rates of coded-wire tagged and untagged groups. Adult sample sizes of approximately 4,000-14,000 fish will allow us to detect a difference of 7-10% in survival rates for each of three hatcheries and three brood years (PL0.05)

Testable hypothesis
Null Hypothesis: Juvenile spring chinook which have been handled, anesthetized, adipose fin clipped, and coded-wire tagged return as adults in lower proportions and/or at smaller size than adults from juveniles released which were not handled and tagged.

Underlying assumptions or critical constraints
Accurate counts are made of tagged and untagged juveniles and returning adults. .

Methods
Three hatcheries in Oregon and Washington were selected as test sites. At each facility, for three consecutive broods, the entire production of spring chinook had thermal banded otolith marks applied and approximately 33% were anesthetized, adipose clipped, and coded-wire tagged. The otolith marks serve as a means to identify control fish so that straying of non-facility fish as adults into the hatchery can be accounted. Adult returns are censured for CWTs and otolith marks, aged via scales, and measured to nearest mmFL. Analysis of proportions with a normal approximation to the binomial distribution will be used to develop confidence limits on the proportion of tagged fish in the population.

Brief schedule of activities
The last brood year (1991) will have adult returns sampled from July-October, 1996. Returning adults will be aged, presence of otolith marks and coded-wire tags determined, dissected and read. Information will be analyzed and survival and growth compared between tagged and untagged. Information from 1996 returns will be compared with returns from previous 5 years of returns and a final report will be written describing results.

Biological need
Over forty-million salmonids are coded-wire tagged annually by Pacific Coast fishery agencies. Since its initial use in the late 1960's there has been no comprehensive evaluation on the combined effects of handling, anesthetic, CWT implementation, and adipose marking.

Critical uncertainties
Otolith marking on a production scale and readability of the marks has never been on such a large scale. The reliability of this new marking system and ability to recover marks will be tested.

Summary of expected outcome
A determination will be made on whether or note the tagging process reduces survival and/or growth. If it does the amount of reduced survival and /or growth will be measured.

Dependencies/opportunities for cooperation
Cooperation with personnel at USFW’s Carson Hatchery and ODFW’s Willamette Hatchery will be required to sample adults at those facilities.

Risks
None recognized.

Monitoring activity
Adults will be monitored at Cowlitz, Carson, and Willamette hatcheries for all pertinent information.

Section 3. Budget

* For most projects, Authorized is the amount recommended by CBFWA and the Council. Planned is amount currently allocated. Contracted is the amount obligated to date of printout.

Funding recommendations

CBFWA funding review group   System Policy

Recommendation    Tier 1 - fund

Recommended funding level   $160,000

BPA 1997 authorized budget (approved start-of-year budget)   $136,000