BLYN — The next generation of salmon are being counted in smolt traps operated by the Jamestown S”Klallam tribe as the young fish leave Dungeness Valley streams.
The tribe is operating two smolt traps to assess the populations of coho and steelhead smolt in local streams.
“We will catch migrating salmonids, identify them by species, count them, measure them, weigh them and let them go on their way,” said Scott Chitwood, Jamestown S’Klallam tribal fisheries manager.
“This information, collected from a range of different streams, allows fisheries managers to better plan fisheries.”
Chitwood said understanding salmon productivity requires good data collection on how many successfully spawn, how many offspring become smolts and the number of adult salmon that return, he said.
With quality data, salmon managers can determine if there are harvestable fish, where fisheries should be open or closed, how much fishing should occur and what levels of total catch are acceptable, he said.
The traps will be operated until the end of June, when most juvenile salmon have migrated to sea.
———————
The rest of this story appears in today’s Peninsula Daily News. Click on “Subscribe” to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.