record-size run of pink salmon?

[CP]

https://www.kuow.org/stories/a-record-size-run-of-pink-salmon-may-be-headed-toward-washington-state

This year in Washington, we're expecting to see somewhere around 7.5 million pink salmon returning. That would be in the top five of our records going back to 1959.

[Bullkllr]

27M predicted for the Fraser.

That's a lot of pinks.

[Stein]

I think it was NPR that had a bio on saying there might be too many pinks, apparently at some point they crowd out the other species.  He mentioned pinks are something like 70% of the biomass of salmon and they only come back every other year.

I would love to hear from an ologist why the Snohomish pinks are not doing well.  I think it's one of the few, if not only pink returns that is low the last couple of cycles.

[3nails]

I think it was NPR that had a bio on saying there might be too many pinks, apparently at some point they crowd out the other species.  He mentioned pinks are something like 70% of the biomass of salmon and they only come back every other year.

I would love to hear from an ologist why the Snohomish pinks are not doing well.  I think it's one of the few, if not only pink returns that is low the last couple of cycles.

Fortunately they hit the rivers after spring kings and before coho. All that rotting flesh is good for the system too so I'm wondering why they'd think that.

[Shrimper]

First sentence of the article.

"Biologists expect a record number of pink salmon to return to Puget Sound and Washington rivers and streams this year. And while that may seem like a good signal about salmon habitat, it's also raising some concerns."

Paraphrase: We're going to have a record pink run this year but its bad news, seriously!  The doom and gloom around salmon is ridiculous.  I fish for salmon A LOT in Puget Sound and the numbers they tell that are there is way off from my on the water experience.

[Stein]

It sounded like they had some data where big pink years are followed by lower chinook returns in some areas.  Maybe causal, maybe coincidental.  At a high level it does make sense that any ecosystem can only support so many creatures.  Some of the chinook runs are so low it probably wouldn't take much at all to knock them down.

I'll do my part again this year.   

[fishngamereaper]

It sounded like they had some data where big pink years are followed by lower chinook returns in some areas.  Maybe causal, maybe coincidental.  At a high level it does make sense that any ecosystem can only support so many creatures.  Some of the chinook runs are so low it probably wouldn't take much at all to knock them down.

I'll do my part again this year.   

Just wait till next year...we are loosing another blackmouth season because of the nooksak..

As for pinks... although sometimes fun they are quite annoying..
Hopefully they do right thing and add the 4 pink bonus limits..no reason not to for a fish they don't manage.

[huntnphool]

 Record run for a fish they don’t manage!

[trophyhunt]

Record run for a fish they don’t manage!

:chuckle:that’s perfect!!!!

[Stein]

It sounded like they had some data where big pink years are followed by lower chinook returns in some areas.  Maybe causal, maybe coincidental.  At a high level it does make sense that any ecosystem can only support so many creatures.  Some of the chinook runs are so low it probably wouldn't take much at all to knock them down.

I'll do my part again this year.   

Just wait till next year...we are loosing another blackmouth season because of the nooksak..

As for pinks... although sometimes fun they are quite annoying..
Hopefully they do right thing and add the 4 pink bonus limits..no reason not to for a fish they don't manage.

Can't argue that. 

2 pink "bonus" except 8-2.  If they were really a problem why not a 10 pink limit?  They play both sides of the coin, there are a record level, maybe too many but we we'll restrict retention.  Like I always thought, no matter what comes up in the magic 8-ball of limit proposals, the answer is always lower the limit.

Just for fun, how many coho would have to return for the limit to be increased to 3?  If it's science based, there is a number.  We'll maybe never get there but the mindset is clearly not science based or the limit wouldn't be 2 every year as the return varies wildly.

[Irish_hunter93]

Don't worry, that tiny Lil "successful" blackmouth season we had this year will rear its ugly head when 9 opens up, just like how last years successful area 9 fishery has hindered this year blackmouth.....and the cycle repeats....

[metlhead]

That 2 fish limit is a joke. Less than 8 million shad return every year to the Columbia. No limits at all yet they return every year in force. I suppose this green state would rather I go out many times in the gas hog to fill the smoker.

[HntnFsh]

That 2 fish limit is a joke. Less than 8 million shad return every year to the Columbia. No limits at all yet they return every year in force. I suppose this green state would rather I go out many times in the gas hog to fill the smoker.

Shad arent native to the Columbia river. There shouldnt be a limit.

[metlhead]

Correct bright one. Just ponting out that raising the limit above 2 prolly ain't gonna make a dent in the survival of the herd