In response to the Council’s December 7, 2017 request, the ISRP reviewed a proposal titled Northern Pike Suppression and Monitoring (#2017-004-00) from the Colville Confederated Tribes (CCT), Spokane Tribe of Indians’ (STOI), and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). The goal of this proposal is to suppress northern pike in the Lake Roosevelt watershed and prevent the species from spreading and expanding into other water bodies, especially those that support anadromous salmon. The proposed approach to achieve this goal is multi-tiered and includes mechanical removal techniques, angler incentives, and targeted monitoring and research.
The ISRP requests a response to enable a full assessment of the proposal.
The proposal includes a review of the northern pike problem and suppression efforts in Lake Roosevelt, the upper Columbia Basin, and in regions beyond the Columbia Basin. The expansion of piscivorous, non-native northern pike is a concern for the conservation of native resident fishes in the upper Columbia Basin and for anadromous salmon in downstream areas. The proponents provide a reasonable argument for the need to control northern pike abundance, which is consistent with the vision of the Fish and Wildlife Program and its strategy to control invasive species. The proposal partially addresses the planning needed for an expanded effort to suppress northern pike in Lake Roosevelt in Spring 2018. However, substantially more detailed information is needed for a full assessment of the proposal by the ISRP, particularly in regard to the monitoring program and adaptive management.
See the ISRP’s full memo for details
