2020 JOINT STAFF REPORT CONCERNING STOCK STATUS AND FISHERIES FOR STURGEON AND SMELT Joint Columbia River Management Staff Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife January 16, 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................1 THE COMPACT ......................................................................................................................................1 SEASONS CONSIDERED ......................................................................................................................1 ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT (ESA) ..................................................................................................2 Salmon and Steelhead ...............................................................................................................................2 Eulachon ...................................................................................................................................................3 Green Sturgeon .........................................................................................................................................3 Marbled Murrelet......................................................................................................................................3 STURGEON MANAGEMENT AND FISHERIES DOWNSTREAM OF BONNEVILLE DAM ........3 Stock Status ...............................................................................................................................................3 Fishery Management Actions ...................................................................................................................7 Past Management Actions................................................................................................................7 Joint State White Sturgeon Management Agreements ....................................................................8 Adjustments for Harvest outside the Mainstem Columbia River ..................................................11 2019 Management Actions ............................................................................................................12 Sturgeon Fisheries ...................................................................................................................................13 Past Commercial Sturgeon Fisheries .............................................................................................13 2019 Commercial Fishery ..............................................................................................................14 Past Recreational Sturgeon Fisheries .............................................................................................14 2019 Recreational Sturgeon Fishery ..............................................................................................15 Below Wauna (Estuary) ...........................................................................................................15 Above Wauna (non-Estuary) ...................................................................................................16 Summary of 2019 Recreational Harvest ..................................................................................17 Expectations for 2020 Lower Columbia River Sturgeon Fisheries ........................................................18 STURGEON MANAGEMENT AND FISHERIES UPSTREAM OF BONNEVILLE DAM ..............18 Stock Status .............................................................................................................................................18 Sturgeon Fisheries ...................................................................................................................................19 2019 Treaty Fisheries .....................................................................................................................19 2019 Non-Treaty Recreational Fisheries .......................................................................................20 Expectations for 2020 Above Bonneville Sturgeon Fisheries ................................................................20 SMELT MANAGEMENT AND FISHERIES .......................................................................................21 Stock Status .............................................................................................................................................21 Adult Returns and Larval Recruitment ..........................................................................................21 Freshwater to Saltwater Transition ................................................................................................24 Ocean Phase ...................................................................................................................................24 Fishery Management Actions .................................................................................................................25 Eulachon Fisheries ..................................................................................................................................26 Past Commercial, Recreational, and Tribal Fisheries ....................................................................26 2019 Commercial, Recreational, and Tribal Fisheries...................................................................26 Expectations for 2020 Eulachon Fisheries ..............................................................................................27 i LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Estimated and projected abundance of 42–60 inch total length (38–54 inch fork length) white sturgeon in the lower Columbia River, 1987–2020. .....................................................................28 Table 2. Estimated consumption of white sturgeon by pinnipeds at Bonneville Dam tailrace, 2005- 2018.........................................................................................................................................................29 Table 3. Catch per set (CPUE) and proportion of positive sets (Ep) for young-of-year white sturgeon in the lower Columbia and Willamette rivers, 2004–2019. ....................................................................30 Table 4. Annual recreational white sturgeon catch and harvest guidelines in the lower Columbia River, 1994–2019. ...................................................................................................................................31 Table 5. Annual recreational white sturgeon catch and harvest guidelines in the lower Willamette River, 2004–2019. ...................................................................................................................................32 Table 6. Annual commercial white sturgeon landings and harvest guidelines in the lower Columbia River, 1993–2019. ...................................................................................................................................33 Table 7. Recreational and commercial white sturgeon catch and harvest guidelines in the lower Columbia River, 1997–2019. ..................................................................................................................34 Table 8. Summary of mainstem commercial seasons and sturgeon regulations in the lower Columbia River, 1997–2019. ...................................................................................................................................35 Table 8 (continued). Summary of mainstem commercial seasons and sturgeon regulations in the lower Columbia River, 1997–2019. ........................................................................................................36 Table 9. History of sturgeon regulations for the lower Columbia River recreational fishery. ..............38 Table 10. Estimated catch of white sturgeon (in 1,000's) in 1-ft legal (total) length groups in mainstem lower Columbia River commercial and recreational fisheries, 1977–2019. 1 ........................40 Table 11. Recreational and commercial sturgeon catch (in 1,000’s) and white sturgeon catch sharing percentages in the lower Columbia River, 1977–2019. ..........................................................................41 Table 12. Annual treaty and recreational white sturgeon catch and harvest guidelines by pool in Zone 6, 2010–2019. 1 ..............................................................................................................................42 Table 13. Annual 33–65 inch fork length (36–72 inch total length) and legal slot size abundance estimates by pool in Zone 6, 1976–2019.1 ..............................................................................................43 Table 14. Treaty commercial white sturgeon seasons and catch in Zone 6, 2015–2019. ......................44 Table 15. White sturgeon catch in treaty commercial, subsistence, and recreational fisheries in Zone 6, 2010–2019. 1 .......................................................................................................................................45 Table 16. Recreational white sturgeon retention seasons in Zone 6, 2009–2019. 1 ..............................46 Table 17. Preliminary Zone 6 treaty commercial catch by season and pool, with catch guidelines, 2019.........................................................................................................................................................46 Table 18. Columbia River and