Clipping The Coho

Fisheries management

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife expects to fin-clip about 20 percent of its Puget Sound hatchery coho salmon this spring as the first step in a program aimed at improving sport fisheries by 1998, even though Canada still has not agreed to fin-clip its fish.

The Washington coho, from the 1995 brood, will leave their hatcheries next spring and will return as adults in 1998.

The department will continue to talk with Canada this summer, it says, in an effort to clear away obstacles to selective fisheries in 1998.

A selective fishery is one in which fishermen may sort fish at the side of the boat, retaining certain ones and releasing others relatively unharmed. In this case, fishermen would select for marked hatchery fish, releasing unmarked wild fish, many of which are from weak runs.

The 1995 Washington Legislature mandated marking of the state’s hatchery coho starting this year, with the aim of increasing recreational fishing.

In order for selective fisheries to work, Canada, the U.S. federal government and the tribes also would have to mark their hatchery fish. So far, there’s interest among tribes, but no clear commitment from the tribes that they’d be marking fish this brood year.

The Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans says it can’t support the program now because of “policy, technical and financial reasons.”

Meanwhile, Washington has suggested it might shut down hatchery coho production if Canada declines to participate in mass marking. Hatchery closures would have a dramatic effect on Canada, because fish of Washington origin make up significant portions of Canada’s south coast coho catches, in some cases more than 50 percent.