Northern pikeminnow eat millions of young salmon and steelhead in the Columbia and Snake rivers each year. Researchers believe reducing the number of these predators can greatly help the salmon and steelhead. In the 2001 season, we will pay anglers for fish 9 inches and larger. We're not trying to eliminate northern pikeminnow. What we're trying to do is reduce the average size.
Smaller fish eat less smolts.
Evaluation of the reward fishery is an important component of the overall program. It will tell us how effective we are and where we need to make improvements. Results indicate that the program is successful. Since 1990 over 1.5 million northern pikeminnow have been removed from the Snake and Columbia rivers as a result of the sport reward program. Millions of young salmon survived that would have otherwise been eaten.