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
Annual Fish Marking Program-Missing Hatchery Production Groups OR/WA/ID (USFWS)

BPA project number   8906500

Business name of agency, institution or organization requesting funding
USFWS

Sponsor type   WA-Federal Agency

Proposal contact person or principal investigator

BPA technical contact   Jerry Bauer, EWN 503/230-7579

Biological opinion ID   NMFS BO - Basic Monitoring

NWPPC Program number   7.2D.4

Short description
The USFWS will continue to mark various groups of fish for BPA funded projects using mobile fish marking trailers at federal and state hatcheries in the Columbia River basin. Marking allows tracking of these fish with CWT, freeze brands, fin clips and PIT tags. The Service will continue to provide base data from hatchery releases used to evaluate survival, contribution and hatchery goals.

Project start year   1989    End year   

Start of operation and/or maintenance   

Project development phase   Implementation

Section 2. Narrative

Related projects
The project started in1983 (as project 8300600 "Operation and Maintenance of BPA Fish Marking Trailers"). In 1995, projects 8906500 and 8300600 were combined and the Service has marked over 23 million fish for evaluation in the Columbia River basin for these BPA funded projects.

Project history
Since 1983 the Service has marked juvenile salmonids throughout the region for BPA funded projects and has maintained several fish marking trailers. The Service has conducted the fish marking for several long-term ongoing marking projects including the following: Columbia River Basin Smolt Monitoring Program, Yakima Basin Evaluation Program, and various other evaluation studies. The Service has participated in the Missing Production Hatchery Groups Coded-Wire Tag Evaluation Study since 1989.

Historic Obligations*
1990 $170,614
1991 $271,410
1992 $294,786
1993 $406,790
1994 $360,855
1995 $502,700
1996 $205,965
*Totals shown for historic funding are for both project 8300600 and 890065 combined. Funding has fluctuated over the years due to variations in the fish marking programs.

Biological results achieved
Over 23 million juvenile salmonids have been marked for evaluation in the Columbia River basin. The various purposes of evaluation include: to estimate the survival of each release group, to estimate the contribution of each release group to ocean and inriver fisheries, to estimate straying rate of hatchery fish, to estimate smolt migration speed, to evaluate hatchery practices, and individual broodstocks.

Annual reports and technical papers
"Annual Coded Wire Tag Program: Missing Production Groups" Annual Reports 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995.

"Operation and Maintenance of BPA Fish Marking Trailer" Annual Reports, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987,1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995.

Management implications
This information will be used to evaluate hatchery practices and individual broodstocks. It will also enable salmon harvest managers to develop a scenario to harvest excess hatchery fish while protecting the threatened or endangered stocks.

Specific measureable objectives
Continue to mark fish for evaluation studies.

Testable hypothesis

Underlying assumptions or critical constraints
Assumption that hatchery evaluation studies and smolt monitoring need to continue.

Methods
Fish will be marked at Columbia River hatcheries with mobile fish marking trailers. In order to meet objectives, a minimum of one marked group of fish for each production release is necessary for evaluation. All fish released from the various facilities along with mark/unmarked ratios are reported to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC). All fish recovered in various fisheries or at the hatchery are sampled to recover coded-wire tags. This information is then reported to the PSMFC along with sampling rate. Contribution to various fisheries and survival of the release groups can then be estimated from this information.

Brief schedule of activities
In 1997 4,400,000 fish will be marked for this project for an estimated cost of $278,000.

Biological need
BPA funded fish projects need to be marked and evaluated.

Critical uncertainties
All necessary fish will be marked and evaluated.

Summary of expected outcome

Dependencies/opportunities for cooperation

Risks

Monitoring activity
Continue ongoing fish marking, monitoring and evaluation of BPA funded projects.

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   $278,000

BPA 1997 authorized budget (approved start-of-year budget)   $363,000