This proposal provides for dockside monitoring of the non-tribal ocean commercial troll and recreational salmon fisheries occurring off the coast of the state of washington

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded a $335,000 Project Grant under the Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Pacific Salmon Treaty Program (CFDA 11.438) to the Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW). This grant provides funding for dockside monitoring of the non-tribal ocean commercial troll and recreational salmon fisheries off the coast of Washington. The key objectives are to collect catch and effort data to generate in-season and post-season estimates of total catch, released fish, and effort for all recreational and commercial salmon fisheries with coefficients of variation of 10% or less. Additionally, the grant supports the examination of a minimum of 20% of landed Chinook catch for coded wire tags and the collection of genetic tissue samples from 200 Chinook per stratum for the recreational fishery. This data will be used to determine harvest rates, stock composition, and compliance with Pacific Salmon Treaty obligations. The grant period is from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025.

The specific objectives of dockside monitoring are: collect catch and effort data sufficient to generate in-season and post-season estimates of total catch, released fish (recreational only), and effort for all recreational and commercial salmon fisheries with coefficients of variation (CVS) of 10% or less on commonly observed species. In-season catch estimates will be produced for all quota fisheries on a weekly (or more frequent) basis to allow for in-season management; the periods for post-season final catch estimates will be statistical week periods for all salmon fisheries. Examine, using electronic detection devices, a minimum of 20% of landed chinook catch (both marked and unmarked) from the recreational and commercial fisheries for the presence of coded wire tags (cwts) and collect any cwts encountered. Collect scales from a minimum of 5% of landed chinook per stratum, with one stratum defined as a period of one month in one marine area per fishery. From the recreational fishery, collect genetic tissue samples from a total of 200 chinook per stratum with accompanying scale samples. The ultimate use of these data is to determine harvest rates, stock composition, and compliance with pacific salmon treaty obligations for the united states, as well as to provide data used to forecast or estimate impacts of fisheries on various stocks. This project addresses a key research theme identified by the U.S. Section of the chinook technical committee (usctc) - stock composition - by maintaining adequate sampling rates and CWT collection in highly mixed-stock fisheries. This project is an on-going activity of the washington department of fish and wildlife (wdfw). The usctc has previously contributed funding to this program which has allowed chinook CWT sampling rates to average 45% in ocean commercial troll fisheries and 36% in ocean recreational fisheries in the past five years. In 2023, the project collected over 2,500 chinook cwts from ocean salmon fisheries. In addition, the project consistently generates relatively precise catch estimates in washington recreational salmon fisheries (CVS of 10% or less on commonly observed species).