Herring, other forage fish, at risk
Declines seen in numbers, size and age of fish
The survey for herring eggs in kelp beds continues throughout the herring spawning season, from February in most areas of Puget Sound through June for late-spawning stocks near Bellingham.
When eggs are found, biologists use their density to estimate how many herring have spawned in a specific location, according to Kurt Stick of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The total population of herring, which varies from year to year, is estimated by adding up estimates from all sampling areas.
Spawn-deposition surveys alone are not the most accurate way to estimate herring numbers, Stick acknowledges, but more precise methods were dropped for budget reasons. Before 2010, spawn-deposition surveys were supplemented by tracking adult herring by boat, using acoustic fish-finding equipment to estimate the number of fish in a school. A sample of the schooling fish were then caught in a net to determine size, age and other information.
Dayv Lowry, another WDFW biologist, said his agency decided to settle for the less accurate estimate and use the available money to conduct basic studies on other types forage fish, such as surf smelt, which are far less understood.
"The one thing we cannot be doing is to allow fisheries and an exploitation of resources that we don't have a good handle on," Lowry said, adding that his department needs to make a stronger case for requiring fishing licenses to take surf smelt, such as those caught at Ross Point near Port Orchard. So far, the Legislature has resisted the change, Lowry said, and the smelt population could collapse before lawmakers take action.
"We are worried about the smelt," he added.
From a strictly economic perspective, a recent study by the Pacific Fishery Management Council suggests that forage fish are more valuable left alone. When not caught in nets, they feed other marine animals, including the more valuable salmon.
As for herring, the department has set a goal of harvesting about 10 percent of the total, never more than 20 percent, which is the established limit for other West Coast states.
The 10 percent goal generally has been met, because only a few commercial fishers are now catching herring and selling them for bait. In 2011, the department proposed closing the commercial fishery altogether to save money. The uproar from sport fishers who wanted to have fresh herring for bait kept the fishery open.
At least 18 herring stocks reside in Puget Sound, each returning to the same general areas to spawn. Two stocks stand out genetically and are managed separately from the rest. They are known as the Cherry Point stock, located near Bellingham, and the Squaxin Pass stock, which resides at the extreme south end of Puget Sound.
While most of the herring stocks fluctuate up and down, the Cherry Point stock has declined precipitously, from more than 15,000 tons in 1973 to less than 1,000 tons last year. In general, all stocks have declined in average size as well as age, which suggests that the ecosystem is overstressed, experts say.
What has caused the Cherry Point stock to decline has not been determined, but researchers have raised questions about chemical contaminants, oil spills, parasites, disease, lack of prey or too many predators, as well as ongoing shoreline development.
The area is home to refineries and other industrial facilities. Now it is being proposed as the site of a major shipping port for exporting coal to Asia. The environmental effects of that project are just coming under review. Conservation groups worry that further environmental stresses could mean the end of Cherry Point herring.
Fred Felleman, Northwest consultant for Friends of the Earth, contends that the Puget Sound Partnership should lead the way in finding reasons for the decline of Cherry Point herring and try to reverse the trend.
"The greatest challenge to the credibility of the Puget Sound Partnership is epitomized by this process," Felleman said. "It will test the independence of the partnership to evaluate what we are putting all of our resources through."