"Forage Fish in Puget Sound," Presentation to WA House Environment Committee 13 March 2014
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Tessa Francis, PhD University of Washington Tacoma Puget Sound Institute WA House Environment Committee March 13, 2014 Forage Fish in Puget Sound: Status, Importance, and Recovery
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Testimony given to the Washington State House Environment Committee on the importance, status and recovery of forage fish species in Puget Sound. Audio accompaniment can be found on TVW http://www.tvw.org/index.php?option=com_tvwplayer&eventID=2014031031
Transcript of "Forage Fish in Puget Sound," Presentation to WA House Environment Committee 13 March 2014
Tessa Francis, PhD University of Washington Tacoma
Puget Sound Institute
WA House Environment Committee March 13, 2014
Forage Fish in Puget Sound: Status, Importance, and Recovery
Pacific herring Clupea pallasii
photo by Walter Rung
Surf smelt Hypomesus pre/osus
photo by Frank Varga
Sand lance Ammodytes hexapterus
photo by Ground Truth Trekking
Meet the fish.
Forage fish are more valuable in the water than out.
Harbor Seals: 80%
Chinook salmon: 80%
Lingcod: 95%
Orcas
Rhinoceros auklet: 70%
Marbled murrelet: 60%
TuGed puffin
Photo by Peter Hodum
Forage fish are 30-‐60 Lmes more valuable in the water
Source: DFW 2008, TCW Economics; LenFest Forage Fish Task Force Report
Direct value SupporLve value
$25 million $0.4 – 0.8 million
Key Indicators of Ecosystem Health Food web connec*ons
Forage fish
Zooplankton
Phytoplankton
Predators
Key Indicators of Ecosystem Health Human impacts
Shoreline development Contaminants/pollutants Water quality
Human AcLviLes
Pacific herring Engraulis mordax
photo by Walter Rung
What is their status?
0
3,000
6,000
9,000
12,000
15,000
18,000
1973 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998 2003 2008 2013 2018
TON
S
Adult Herring Spawner Biomass
Pacific herring Engraulis mordax
photo by Walter Rung
? photo by Frank Varga
?
What is their status?
0
3,000
6,000
9,000
12,000
15,000
18,000
1973 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998 2003 2008 2013 2018
TON
S
Adult Herring Spawner Biomass
Pacific herring Engraulis mordax
photo by Frank Varga
photo by Ground Truth Trekking
We have major challenges
Herring 1. We don’t know why herring are declining. • Habitat loss • PredaEon • PolluEon • Prey • Disease • Disturbance
2. We don’t know populaEon status of surf
smelt or sand lance. • How many are there? • How many do we need?
We do know habitat ma]ers
• Herring populaEon is 2x more stable because of habitat diversity.
• Shoreline development degrades
forage fish spawning habitat. • Higher egg mortality • Higher temperatures • Loss of fresh sediment supply
What acLons are we taking?
• Puget Sound Partnership is tracking Pacific herring as an indicator of ecosystem health.
• Puget Sound InsLtute has convened a panel of forage fish experts to fill key informaEon gaps using exisEng data.
• Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring
Program has prioriEzed measuring sand lance and surf smelt abundance.
• Dept of Fish & Wildlife is taking a precauEonary approach with fisheries management.
• Dept of Fish & Wildlife requires HPA permit to develop shorelines.
What more should we be doing?
1. Collect abundance data for surf smelt and sand lance
2. EsEmate the abundance of surf smelt and sand lance using exisLng data
3. Determine the limitaEons to herring recovery using exisLng data
4. Collect biological informaEon
5. Improve habitat protecEon regulaEons
6. Limit fisheries harvest
7. Monitor predators and prey
Thank you.
