At the Council’s July 31 request, the ISRP reviewed the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission’s Accord proposal titled Produce Statistically Valid Harvest Estimates (2008-508-00). As stated in the proposal abstract, "this project has four long term objectives: 1) ensure that the sample design and estimation methods for producing tribal catch estimates are statistically valid, 2) make accurate harvest data readily available for decision making, 3) improve the transparency and dissemination of catch estimates, with associated variances, and 4) account for the uncertainty of estimates in management." Ultimately, this project intends to determine and formalize statistically valid sampling protocols for tribal harvest estimates throughout the Columbia River Basin.
Recommendation: Response RequestedThe overarching goal of the project is to be applauded; however, the description of specifically what is to be accomplished in the first year is not sufficiently detailed. A response is requested that demonstrates that the survey of the creel census methodologies in the first year will be adequate to address whether this program meets the intended design requirements.
