Fish and Fire
It’s a fortunate thing that readers of The Osprey recognize the value of science in informing efforts to return and restore wild fish and want to learn more themselves, because this issue is packed with some great science. US Forest Service scientist Rebecca Flitcroft starts us out with her in-depth look at how wildfire affects aquatic and riparian habitats, and salmonids. As wildfires increase in frequency and in- tensity throughout Pacific salmon and steelhead country, it is a reality that fisheries managers and wild fish advocates will have to take into account in their efforts to restore and protect wild fish populations. Perhaps surprisingly, the news is not all bad. Fires can improve fish habitat over time, and the fish themselves are sometimes able to adapt to changes wrought by wildfire.
In the wake of a petition to NOAA Fisheries by The Conservation Angler and the Wild Fish Conservancy to list Olympic Peninsula wild steelhead under the federal Endangered Species Act, John McMillan has produced a detailed paper looking at the current status of the fish and the deep problems they are facing. NOAA Fisheries will announce later this fall if they are willing to accept the petition, and McMillan’s article provides plenty of reasons why that is necessary.
The Columbia and Snake rivers and their wild salmon and steelhead have been a longtime focus for The Osprey. For this issue, Dave Moskowitz has produced a meticulously researched analysis of this year’s run of Columbia upriver summer steelhead that contains a wealth of up-to-the-minute data. Scott Simpson, one of The Osprey’s British Columbia correspondents, has filed a short, but information-rich, field report on the state of interior Fraser River wild steelhead. Wild steelhead runs on the Thompson and Chilcotin rivers have been collapsing for years now, and suffer from commercial fisheries bycatch mortality, especially from the gill net fisheries.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
• FIFTY YEAR PERSPECTIVE ON WILD STEELHEAD ABUNDANCE
• OLYMPIC PENINSULA WILD STEELHEAD NEED ESA PROTECTION
• INTERIOR FRASER RIVER WILD STEELHEAD
• COLUMBIA UPRIVER WILD STEELHEAD ANALYSIS
And last, but definitely not least, Pete Soverel, in his regular Hits and Misses column, gives us an historical perspective on wild steelhead abundance and management based on his half century of experience not only as a long-time steelheader but as a member of the short list of “who’s who” in wild salmon and steelhead conservation.
We hope you enjoy reading this issue and helps satisfy your desire to know more about the science behind wild fish conservation. As always, feel free to drop us a note anytime to let us know your thoughts. And thanks for keeping us in business for all these years.