Annual Coded Wire Tag Program; Oregon Missing Production Groups, 1997 Annual Report.

Abstract

This annual report is in fulfillment of contract obligations with Bonneville Power Administration which is the funding source for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's Annual Coded Wire Tag Program - Oregon Missing Production Groups Project. Tule stock fall chinook were caught primarily in British Columbia and Washington ocean, and Oregon freshwater fisheries. Up-river bright stock fall chinook contributed primarily to Alaska and British Columbia ocean commercial, and Columbia River gillnet and other freshwater fisheries. Contribution of Rogue stock fall chinook released in the lower Columbia River occurred primarily in Oregon ocean commercial and Columbia river gillnet fisheries. Willamette stock spring chinook contributed primarily to Alaska and British Columbia ocean commercial, Oregon freshwater sport and Columbia River gillnet fisheries. Willamette stock spring chinook released by CEDC contributed to similar ocean fisheries, but had much higher catch in gillnet fisheries than the same stocks released in the Willamette system. Up-river stocks of spring chinook contributed almost exclusively to Columbia River sport fisheries and other freshwater recovery areas. The up-river stocks of Columbia River summer steelhead contributed primarily to the Columbia River gillnet and other freshwater fisheries. Coho ocean fisheries from Washington to California were closed or very limited from 1994 through 1997 (1991 through 1994 broods). This has resulted in a greater average percent of catch for other fishery areas. Coho stocks released by ODFW below Bonneville Dam contributed mainly to Oregon and Washington ocean, Columbia Gillnet and other freshwater fisheries. Coho stocks released in the Klaskanine River and Youngs Bay area had similar ocean catch, but much higher contribution to gillnet fisheries than the other coho releases. Coho stocks released above Bonneville Dam had similar contribution to ocean fisheries as other coho releases. However, they contributed more to gillnet fisheries above Bonneville Dam than coho released below the dam. Survival rates of salmon and steelhead are influenced, not only by factors in the hatchery (disease, density, diet, size and time of release) but also by environmental factors in the river and ocean. These environmental factors are influenced by large scale weather patterns such as El Nino over which man has no influence. Changes in rearing conditions in the hatchery, over which man has some influence, do impact the survival rates. However, these impacts can be offset by impacts caused by environmental factors. Coho salmon released in the Columbia River generally experience better survival rates when released later in the spring. However, for the 1990 brood year June releases of Columbia River coho had much lower survival than May releases, for all ODFW hatcheries. In general survival of ODFW Columbia River hatchery coho has declined to low levels since the 1989 brood year. In an effort to evaluate photonic marking as a tool to mass mark salmonids, two groups of 1995 brood juvenile coho salmon were marked at Sandy Hatchery. The first group (Group A) received a fluorescent red mark, adipose fin clip and coded-wire tag. The second group (Group B) received a cryptic blue mark, adipose fin clip and coded-wire tag. Both groups were released in the spring of 1997. No photonic marks were detected in the precocious males (jacks) returning to Sandy hatchery in the fall of 1997.