Management of Northern Pikeminnow in the Columbia and Snake Rivers

Since 1991 the Bonneville Power Administration has funded a program to reduce the predation of outmigrating salmonids through the removal of Northern pikeminnow in the Columbia and Snake Rivers.  The program is managed by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, with assistance from the Oregon and Washinton Departments of Fish and Wildlife.  The primary means of removal is a  Sport Reward Fishery in which sport anglers are paid for the pikeminnow they catch and turn in to one of 21 registration stations.  Anglers are paid from $5 to $8 per fish at least 9 inches total length, depending on their individual cumulative season total.  Program goals are to remove 10-20% of predatory-sized pikeminnow per year, evaluate the response of pikeminnow to sustained fisheries and evaluate compensatory predation by smallmouth bass and walleye.  Estimates show that the program has consistently reduced predation on juvenile salmonids by Northern pikeminnow by more than 30% since 2002 and has removed more than 4.25 million pikeminnow since the program began.