To whom it may concern,
There is a seasonal field research position available at Wild Fish Conservancy! Please distribute this information to the student body:
Wild Fish Conservancy has a seasonal position available this coming June-October investigating the feasibility of fish traps in the Columbia River for selective commercial harvest and the reduction of bycatch mortality.
In the Columbia River and many parts of the Pacific Northwest, gill nets and other non-selective commercial gears are operated in mixed-stock salmon fisheries—fisheries in which multiple species and populations co-exist. Deploying these conventional gears in primary fish migration corridors, various salmon stocks (some healthy, others endangered or threatened) are harvested at once, causing bycatch mortality that may impede recovery objectives. To solve this pressing harvest issue, WFC has been working with commercial fishermen, WDFW, ODFW, and NOAA Fisheries to develop, test, and implement stock-selective gears that can successfully release wild fish and other bycatch unharmed. These efforts may help provide a way forward for fish and fishermen of the Pacific Northwest.
Successfully constructing and testing a commercial scale salmon trap in the lower Columbia River (Cathlamet, WA) from 2016-2018, Wild Fish Conservancy will be completing its fourth year of study this coming June-October. We will be harvesting hatchery-salmon with local commercial fishermen and PIT tagging thousands of wild fish captured at the trap to estimate post-release survival of bycatch over a 400 km migration to McNary Dam.
Here are two short videos that explain the project:
Work will occur from June 1 through October 31, 2019. Responsibilities of the position include adult salmonid identification, field data collection, PIT-tagging, genetic tissue sampling, and fish trap operation. Lodging and food are provided. Please email me if you have any interest. Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
Adrian Tuohy
Biologist / Project Manager
Wild Fish Conservancy
adrian@wildfishconservancy.org
(253) 709-9364