Variation in the effectiveness of alternative broodstock, rearing, and release practices

among three supplemented steelhead populations - Hood Canal, WA

Barry A. Berejikian and Megan E. MooreNOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries

Science Center, Manchester Research Station

Acknowledgements

• NWFSC Behavioral Ecology Team• Long Live the Kings• Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group• Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife• US Fish and Wildlife Service• US Forest Service• Hood Canal Private Landowners• Skokomish Tribe• Point No Point Treaty Tribes

Hatchery experiment• Replicated, before-during-after-control-impact experiment (RBACI)

• Response variables =

•spawner abundance and spawn timing,

•freshwater productivity (egg to smolt)

•life history diversity

•genetic variation

•Other stuff

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Hood Canal stream habitat and population traits

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Domestication selection in steelhead hatcheries• Problem: Late/spring spawn timing of

wild steelhead precludes age-1 smolt rearing without inducing size selection after release

• Ha: Fitness loss caused bya. Selection for rapid growth rates

and correlated traits (vis. Berejikian et al. 1996, Reisenbichler et al. 2004,

Araki et al. 2008)b. Artificial breeding

• Potential solutions: Avoid artificial breeding and rear to modal age-at-smoltification

Age-at-smoltification in Hood Canal steelhead populations

Ageing: WDFW ageing laboratory

Hood Canal steelhead hatcheries

WDFW McKernan Hatchery

LLTK Lilliwaup Hatchery

Hamma HammaDuckabushDewatto

SF Skokomish

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Release:Age-2 smolts

Age-4 and -5 adults

Variation in egg collections

Egg collection and release numbers

        Number of fish released  

RiverBrood Year Redds

Eggs collected Age-1 Age-2 Age-4 Age-5

Total released

Dewatto 2007 16 9,438 0 7,375 226 24 7,601Dewatto 2008 24 9,327 0 6,807 6,807Dewatto 2009 9 9,171 0 6,571 6,571Dewatto 2010 7 5,861 51 51Dewatto 2011 20 7,276

Duckabush 2007 6 3,020 0 1,574 164 45 1,738Duckabush 2008 8 6,288 0 4,671 4,671Duckabush 2009 1 44 0 0 0Duckabush 2010 6 3,149 140 140Duckabush 2011 9 4,756

Skokomish 2007 39 35,290 4,091 23,747 54 27,892Skokomish 2008 50 34,813 200 20,529 20,729Skokomish 2009 44 29,952 0 26,642 26,642Skokomish 2010 41 29,712 0 0Skokomish 2011              

Smolt size

May be show individual population growth trajectories

Lilliwaup Hatchery McKernan Hatchery

Smolt quality

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Smolt index is significantly correlated with early marine survival(Moore et al. in prep)

Moore et al. in review

Photo by Teresa Sjostrom

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Early marine survival (release to Hood Canal Bridge)

Moore et al. 2010 and Moore et al. in prep

Why differences in smolt quality?

 Lilliwaup Hatchery

(Duckabush & Dewatto)McKernan Hatchery

(Skokomish)

Mean water temperature 8.9º C 8.6 º C

Feed Manufacturer Bio-Oregon Bio-Oregon

Feeding frequency 3x/d, 4 days/wk 2-3x/d, 7 days/wk

Mean density index (to age-1) 0.0066 0.290

Mean density index (age-1 to age-2) 0.0065 0.056

Vessel size/shape (to age-1) 10’ circular 16’ circular

Vessel size/shape (age-1 to age-2) 20’ circular 12 x 140’ raceway

# of size sorts (to age-1) 2 1

Spawner abundance estimates

Summary• Juvenile steelhead rearing regimes can be

modified to match modal age-at-smoltification and natural smolt size

• Smolt quality and precocial male maturation can vary substantially between hatcheries even under the same protocols

• Rearing density may warrant a closer look

• Simple metrics for smolt quality correspond to early marine survival estimates

Extra Stuff Follows

Berejikian et al. 2011b. Env. Biol. Fish.

Early marine survival

Population Spawning Emergence Release Rearing days Rearing TU

Traditional January 1, 2012 March 7, 2012 April 15, 2013 403 3630

Wild April 1, 2012 June 6, 2012 April 15, 2013 312 2811