Less common smelt, including longfin smelt, night smelt and rainbow smelt are generally grouped with surf smelt for management purposes, although their biology may be somewhat different. Anadromous forage fish, such as eulachon or the Columbia River smelt and shad are managed separately.
Forage fish are an important and abundant fish species in Washington.
As the name implies, the significance of forage fish is related to the critical part they play as the prey base for a large variety of other marine organisms, their popularity as recreational fishing bait, and their significance to commercial and subsistence fisheries. For centuries, various species of forage fish have been utilized for food by aboriginal tribal peoples along the west coast. Today, forage fish are harvested by recreational and commercial fisheries and continue to be utilized for tribal subsistence. The condition of the stocks that comprise each forage fish genera are vitally important for those marine species that use them as a food source. The vitality of the aggregate forage fish resource in Washington is also a valuable indicator of the health and productivity of our marine environment.