Monterey Bay Salmon & Trout Project

Where Did All The Fish Go ?
by Jamie Alonzo

A number of data collection and research projects are being conducted by economists at the NMFS Santa Cruz Lab. These projects are intended to increase our understanding of the effects of fishery management and endangered species regulations on salmon fisheries and to better evaluate salmonid habitat restoration needs.

1. The commercial salmon fleet in California has declined in recent decades; the number of active salmon trollers fell from nearly 4000 in the early 1980s to fewer than 700 by 1999. Models are being developed to understand and predict the impact of changes in fish stocks and fish prices on the fleet. The goal of this research is to provide insights into how to reconcile the needs of commercial fishermen with the needs of endangered salmonid stocks.
2. A survey of freshwater salmon and steelhead anglers in California is being planned. The survey will involve telephone interviews of anglers regarding their fishing patterns, expenditures and demographics. This information will be used to estimate the economic value of the fishery and to develop models that help predict how fishery regulations affect fishing behavior.
3. As funding for salmon habitat restoration has increased in recent years, it has also become increasingly important to monitor how the money is being spent. To meet this need, a database is being created that includes detailed information on individual restoration projects (e.g., project goal; location and size of the restored area; nature and extent of the restoration; restoration costs). The database currently includes all projects funded by the California Department of Fish and Game Fisheries Restoration Grants Program; information on other projects is being gathered from other agencies as well. The database will help NMFS' salmonid technical recovery teams evaluate restoration needs by providing information on restoration projects already being done. The database will also be used to develop models that show how costs vary across projects, depending on the nature and extent of the restoration, landscape features at the restoration site, and other factors.
4. While quite a lot of money and effort has been devoted to salmon habitat restoration, little has been done to develop wide-scale strategies for restoration. For example, there may be cases in which it is better to focus restoration effort on a particular watershed, and other cases in which it makes more sense to spread the effort among several watersheds. Quantitative models of restoration planning are being developed that will suggest ways to make more efficient use of the limited time and funding available for restoration.