There are significant changes in the number and run timing of steelheads in the waters near the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, according to an article in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management.
Four different populations of wild steelhead near the Olympic Peninsula have on average declined by more than half since the 1950s, the article reports.
“In the 1950s, between a quarter to nearly one half of Peninsula steelhead returned in November and December,” according to Matt Sloat of the Wild Salmon Center. Sloat is the lead author of the research.
Sloat also noted the importance of run timing in the steelhead population.
“Run timing influences the opportunity for fish to access different habitats within a watershed" Sloat said. "The loss of earlier returning fish means that the remaining population has fewer options for using the available habitat. As a result, overall steelhead production suffers."
The evidence indicates that the species might have lost their leaders, but there are various other factors creating changes in the population, according to the research. Historical data can provide guidance in terms of what ways we can help the populations.
The research notes that the loss of the leaders is likely part of an overall decline in the abundance of the species.
