Conventional fishing practices in mixed-stock commercial salmon fisheries of the U.S Pacific Northwest often result in bycatch mortality, impeding wild salmon recovery, altering ecosystem dynamics, and constraining coastal fisheries. Building upon two years of research demonstrating the viability of commercial fish traps for selective harvest and the reduction of bycatch mortality, Washington State’s first commercial trap fishery in over 83 years was established in the lower Columbia River to enable sustainable commercial harvest of salmon. This short film documents the return to a historical fishery in the Pacific Northwest that may prove to be a win-win situation for fishermen, industry, threatened wild salmon stocks, and the environment.
This research was made possible with funding and support provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program (Award # NA17NMF4720255), the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), the Washington Coast Restoration and Resiliency Initiative (WCRRI), Wild Salmon Center, Patagonia Provisions, and the Horizon’s Foundation.
The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations from this film are those of Wild Fish Conservancy and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funders.
