The Vanishing Population of Steelhead - Essay Example

THE CASE FOR THE VANISHING STEELHEAD of INTRODUCTION In the past few decades, we have seen unprecedented developments in human society especially in the field of Natural Sciences and Technology. Along with this development is the increasing awareness of the importance of the environment. Environmental issues are now gaining much public attention not only because of media exposure but also because it can be felt in the immediate surrounding. Currently, we are experiencing a decline of animal and plant population with some of them going extinct. Although extinction is a natural process in the course of evolution, as evidenced by the fate of dinosaurs, the rate at which it is occurring today is far from the rates in the history of the earth. This is attributed to human activities. Along with the scientific developments came the human population explosion. Hundreds of habitats are being destroyed to serve as agricultural or residential lands. Excessive harvesting of animal meat has led to the decline of reproducing population. Irresponsible disposal of garbage and chemicals has further narrowed life opportunities for organisms. One of the greatly affected organisms is the steelhead. This paper will explore on the reasons for impending extinction of the steelhead. It will also look at the measures taken by concerned entities in preventing this from happening. Our focus would be in the steelhead habitat in the Washington State. This paper is aimed at providing the reader knowledge of what is currently being done today to address the environmental problem. Steelhead Profile SCIENTIFIC NAME: Previous: Salmo gairdneri Present: Oncorhynchus mykiss COMMON NAMES: Kamchatka salmon trout; coastal rainbow trout; silvertrout; salmon trout; steelie; hardhead; ironhead. Fig. 1: Photo of a Steelhead (Wild Steelhead Coalition, 2006) DESCRIPTION: Steelheads are characterized by a dark-olive color, shading to silvery-white on the underside with a heavily speckled body and a pink to red stripe running along their sides. They can reach up to 55 pounds (25 kg) in weight and 45 inches (120 cm) in length. LIFECYCLE: An adult female steelhead will prepare a redd (or nest) in a stream area with suitable gravel type composition, water depth, and velocity. It then deposits 4 to 5 eggs in "nesting pockets" within a single redd. The eggs hatch within 3 to 4 weeks. The juvenile steelhead rears in the freshwater for 1 to 4 years before migrating individually to the open ocean. It stays in the marine environment for 1 to 5 years after which it returns to the freshwater streams and rivers of their birth in order to mate. This process is called anadromy. Unlike other Pacific salmonids, steelheads can spawn more than once and will but will again migrate through estuaries to the ocean. Migrations can reach hundreds of miles as evidenced by a fish tagged in the Sea of Japan and caught six months thereafter in the Skagit River of northern Washington. Some streams host two runs of steelhead, a summer run (returning in summer and early fall and spawning in early to mid-winter) and a winter run (returning in early winter to late spring and spawning within this time frame). FOOD Young steelheads feed primarily on zooplankton. Adults feed on aquatic and terrestrial insects, mollusks, crustaceans, fish eggs, minnows and even other small fishes including other trout. PREDATORS: Fish, mammals, and birds are the primary natural predators of steelhead. Fish predators include the northern pike minnow, walleyes, and smallmouth bass, channel catfish, sculpins, white sturgeon and even some adult salmonids like adult bull trout, rainbow/steelhead trout, cutthroat trout, brook trout, and brown trout. Fish-eating birds present in the Upper Columbia Basin include great blue herons, gulls, osprey, common mergansers, American dippers, cormorants, Caspian terns, belted kingfishers, common loons, western grebes, black-crowned night herons and bald eagles. Mammalian predators include river otters, raccoons, mink and black bears. Pinnipeds including harbor seals, California sea lions and Stellar sea lions also prey on steelhead originating from the Upper Columbia basin (Spence et al. 1996). Pacific striped dolphins and killer whales also consume steelheads. REPRODUCTION: The fish is also classified into two reproductive types, stream-maturing or ocean-maturing which was based on the state of sexual maturity at the time of river entry and duration of spawning migration. The stream-maturing type is the summer-run steelhead which enters freshwater in a sexually immature condition between May and October and requires several months to mature and spawn. The ocean-maturing type is the winter-run steelhead which enters the freshwater between November and April, with well-developed gonads, and spawns shortly thereafter. The female salmon, fresh from the ocean, chooses a site, digs a nest (redd) with her tail, then deposits eggs. One or more males fertilize the eggs. Each nest contains between 500 and 1,200 eggs. About 20 out of 100 eggs laid may survive to become fry (juvenile steelhead) HABITAT: The range of environment where the steelhead lives includes streams, rivers, estuaries and marine habitat. They are known to be capable of surviving in a wide range of temperature conditions but they usually thrive in waters with a dissolved oxygen concentration of at least 7 parts per million. In streams, deep low-velocity pools are important wintering habitats. Spawning habitat consists of gravel substrates free of excessive silt. Coastal streams are dominated by winter-run steelhead, whereas inland steelheads of the Columbia River basin are almost exclusively summer-run steelhead. ROLE IN THE ECOSYSTEM: After spawning, the steelhead has a high probability of dying after one week. The decomposing bodies add nutrients to the stream or river which are essential for bacteria, algae and other plant's growth. The decaying fish also serves as a food source for a wide range of wildlife including bald eagles, bear, mink, and river otter. (PSFMC Online, 1994) THREATS Steelhead species on the west coast of the United States are experiencing dramatic population declines in the past several decades as a result of human-induced and natural factors. Several of its populations have been listed as threatened or endangered since 1991 and have caused the limitation of commercial fishing to Native Americans alone. However, in spite of this, steelhead populations have still not recovered. It behooves us then to find out what other factors are causing the decline in the steelhead's population. A review of literature discussing the topic points out several possible factors threatening or has already threatened the steelhead. These are as follows: 1. Infrastructure developments such as dams, diversions, roads and railways as well as other human activities like agriculture, residential development and forest management. These activities alter the environment to such a high degree that it becomes unsuitable for the steelhead. 2. Recreational fishing and Poaching 3. Increase in non-native predator populations such as the walleye and smallmouth 4. Natural climatic conditions such as fires, floods, droughts and landslides. 5. Poor ocean conditions such as less upwelling and warm surface waters which negatively affect steelhead production. 6. Hatchery programs may use non-native broodstock for hatchery programs which may negatively affect genetic integrity. The use of native broodstocks harms small or dwindling natural populations. Competition, genetic introgression, and disease transmission resulting from hatchery introductions may reduce the productivity and survival of naturally produced steelhead. 7. Inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms such as the absence of political will. It can be deduced from the enumerated threats that human activities are not solely responsible for the steelhead's decline in abundance. STEELHEAD MANAGEMENT Management Measures In the past decades, the concern for the environment has increased. One of the most prominent in the United States, especially in the North West coast, was the decline in population of the steelhead. As we have already stated earlier, many populations of steelhead are in the danger of being wiped out. To prevent this happening, several measures were undertaken. We have already mentioned about the commercial fishing ban. The others are as follows: 1. Hatchery Raising This measure is basically captive breeding where spawning females are captured from the streams or river and their eggs extracted. It is then fertilized with sperm cells in the laboratory. The juvenile steelheads are then reared under laboratory tanks and is only released when it is has reached the age for migration to the marine environments. Recreational catches of Steelhead in the U.S. are limited to hatchery-reared Steelhead only, identified by fin clipping. All wild or unmarked fish must be released and returned. The purpose of the measure is to ensure a sufficient population for survival and to attain a balance between economic needs and environmental protection. On the Columbia River, wild Steelhead and hatchery-raised Steelhead constitute 15% and 85%, respectively, of the annual Native American Steelhead catch. 2. Schedule of Fishing Much in the same way as deer hunting seasons, steelhead fishing also has a set of schedule and is given in the following diagram: Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March April Fall Kings-All Rivers Closed Fall Coho-All Rivers Bogachiel Hatchery Steelhead Calawah Hatchery Steelhead Sol Duc Hatchery Steelhead (1) Hoh Hatchery Steelhead Closed Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March April Bogachiel Wild Steelhead Calawah Wild Steelhead Sol Duc Wild Steelhead Hoh Wild Steelhead Closed Figure 2: Schedule for Steelhead Fishing (NMFS, 2004) Aqua squares represent periods where fishing is not allowed Green squares represent start of fishing season but numbers are very limited to ensure a catch Royal blue squares represent limited fishing Red squares represent peak periods and open fishing season Implementing Agencies The Endangered Species Act requires federal agencies to develop and implement recovery plans for all species listed as either Threatened or Endangered. This being the case, we can find many agencies implementing several strategies to recover steelhead populations. Our focus would be those directly affecting the Washington area. They are the following: 1. The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) PFMC regulates fisheries in the U.S.'s Exclusive Economic Zone which extends to 200 miles off the U.S. West Coast. It is the oversight agency for the prohibition of commercial fishing for Steelhead in federal waters and regulates fishing of Native Americans as mandated by the 2000 Fall Management Agreement The Council ensures participation of the Native Americans by requiring tribal representatives to attend meetings and occupy technical committees. Native American fishers participating in the commercial fishery must maintain logbooks detailing daily catches. In the State of Washington, PFMC manages the amount of wild Steelhead the fishery catches by timing the commercial season, which runs from late November through late February, to coincide with the return of hatchery-raised Steelhead to spawn. Hatchery-raised Steelhead return to the rivers from November through January, while wild Steelhead generally return to spawn from late January through May. 2. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) The Service's Biological Review Team monitors Steelhead populations in California, Oregon and Washington and holds regular meetings to discuss the biology, abundance and ecology of West Coast Steelheads. This monitoring team is composed of tribal and state biologists. The monitoring covers both wild and hatchery-raised steelhead populations. Their observations include data on abundance during their spawning migrations, age distribution and ratio of wild vs. hatchery-raised fish as determined through an inspection of the annual Native American commercial catch. All the observations are compiled in the Salmon Stock Inventory (SaSI). For the most part, however, the monitoring has produced little data on basic measures of abundance, reproduction and contribution of hatchery-raised individuals to spawning events. NMFS is currently developing recovery plans for 16 of the listed populations of Pacific Salmon and Steelhead in the Northwest and is working with federal, state, local and tribal agencies to achieve this. 3. Other State Agencies and Academic Institutions Several state agencies and educational institutions provide information in the form of statistical data and other studies that enables these two agencies to come up with a comprehensive assessment of the situation. The list includes the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Foundation for Water and Energy Education, NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Northwest Power Planning Council, National Research Council, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership, Pacific Salmon Commission, Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board, United States Department of Agriculture, United States Forest Service, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington Agricultural Statistics Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Ecology, Washington State University and Eastern Washington University CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS The Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board recently came up with a proposal for recovery plans of the Salmonids and involves a four-pronged approach - Harvest, Hatchery, Hydro, and Habitat actions. In summary, the proposal aims to develop and maintain a healthy ecosystem that contributes to the rebuilding of key fish populations by providing abundant, productive, and diverse populations of aquatic species that support the social, cultural, and economic well being of the communities both within and outside the recovery region. (Upper Columbia Salmo Recovery Board, 2006) The proposal calls for increased cooperation between local authorities, scientists, anglers, concerned communities and industry. It calls for the application of a more rigorous scientific analysis to obtain relevant data to better understand the complex life cycle of the steelhead. It proposes actions that aim for sustainability and not complete prohibition of steelhead fishing. The Board estimates that if the plans are fully implemented, the population of the steelhead is likely to increase as shown by the diagram for Methow steelhead obtained through scenario estimation where the increase is projected to increase by almost 200%. Fig. 2 Scenario Testing for Habitat Action Plans (Upper Columbia Salmo Recovery Board, 2006) Conclusion From what can be seen, the government is very active in pursuing recovery plans for the steelhead. This is significant since it removes one barrier for the realization of recovering the steelhead population and that is political will. Nevertheless, the NMFS proposal involves estimations which are prone to discrepancies and error. It remains to be seen whether the projections there can be achieved. However, it is better to have an optimistic view of the situation and cooperate to the fullest rather than rant and do nothing. Although we have not presented a success story, we were able to present the process by which success stories are made of. It provides us a model by which we can approach other environmental issues. In the end, it is hoped that such initiatives gain momentum and inspire others to show the same concern for their environment References: PSMFC (1994). Steelhead Salmon Profile. Retrieved Dec. 9,2006 from http://www.psmfc.org/habitat/edu_steelhead_facts.html Wild Steelhead Coalition (2006). The Status of Wild Steelhead and Their Management in Western Washington: Strategies for Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved Dec 9, 2006 from http://www.wildsteelheadcoalition.co Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board (2006).Proposed Upper Columbia Spring Chinook Salmon, Steelhead, and Bull Trout Recovery Plan. Retrieved from www.ucsrb.org/ proposed_recoveryplan06.pdf NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service). 2004. Interim endangered and threatened species recovery planning guidance. 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