10/08/2026
Last month, we released the summary report of our Washington Coast Chinook Symposium from October of 2025. Over the course of two days, fisheries experts from multiple disciplines identified six key areas to move forward in addressing Chinook declines throughout the Pacific Rim.
The first action item identified by this group and the symposium's resulting steering committee was to document and preserve the genetic diversity of Washington Coast Chinook.
The conversation around declines in spring Chinook runs, the impacts of marine fisheries, and data gaps in life history diversity highlighted the need to develop an ESU (evolutionarily significant unit)-wide genetic baseline and assessment of run-timing markers. An ESU is defined as a population of organisms that is considered distinct for purposes of conservation and management under the Endangered Species Act, and genetics are an important part of understanding the diversity within the ESU. Geographic and temporal separation between salmon runs, genetic differences (like those that may exist between spring-run Chinook versus fall-run Chinook), and locally adapted phenotypic traits caused by selection (such as spawning behaviors) are important aspects of diversity that define populations and can help salmon runs be resilient to changing environments.
One discussion group proposed collecting genetic samples across the full range of run timings in the Quillayute River, targeting broodstock spawned-out fish encountered on redd surveys, and fish caught in gillnet fisheries. Their goal would be to parse spring-, summer-, and fall-run fish more accurately and assess patterns that may be relevant to threats or conservation actions. On a broader scale, there is a need to fill in gaps in the genetic baseline information across the Chinook ESU to ensure that WA coast Chinook caught in fisheries across the Pacific are accurately assigned to their natal river, and that spawner surveys are designed to accurately document abundance. Once the baseline is updated, we can use it to ask deeper questions about the diversity of the ESU and potential management actions to maintain that diversity. To achieve this, researchers would aim to collect 100+ samples from each life history in each basin in order to better understand the proportions of run-timing markers within and across watersheds. This updated genetic assignment information and associated demographic data would then be used to compile a more accurate image of life history diversity in the region, which would provide important perspective for subsequent management actions.
To read more about the proposed actions to conserve Washington Coast Chinook genetics, check out the report published last month at the link below. For those who've been following the discussions around the recent filings and findings for Washington Coast Chinook listings under the Endangered Species Act, there are additional resources in the references section on pages 15-21.
https://coastsalmonpartnership.egnyte.com/dl/rwyD7CwYHyGy
Photos: Chinook spawning headwaters of the Newaukum, a prioritized watershed, and post-it notes from "The Eddy", a collection of thoughts and concepts worth further discussion at the Chinook Symposium last fall. Photos by Alex Gustafson (TU) and Alex Bradberry (CSP).
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office
Wild Salmon Center
Trout Unlimited
