FOOD
FOOD CHINOOK SALMON. >> Reporter: SO SCIENTISTS SAY
THAT FOOD IS THE MOST IMMEDIATE
NEED FOR THE SOUTHERN RESIDENT
KILLER WHALES.
KILLER WHALES. SO THIS WEEK WE WILL LEARN A
LOT ABOUT CHINOOK SALMON AND
WHAT IS BEING DONE TO HELP
THEM.
THEM.
THEM. WE
THEM. WE START ON THE SKAGIT RIVER,
WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT RIVERS IF WE WANT
THERE TO BE FUTURE FOR THE
CHINOOK SALMON AND THE WHALES
THAT DEPEND ON THEM.
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SKAGIT
RIVER SOMEWHERE NEAR MOUNT
VERNON, THERE IS A STRUCTURE
FLOATING ON THE WATER.
THIS IS A TRAP WHERE EACH
MORNING STATE WILDLIFE
TECHNICIANS CHECK TO SEE WHAT
HAS BEEN CAUGHT.>> WE OPERATE
FROM JANUARY THROUGH MID JULY
TO COUNT JUVENILE SALMON AS
THEY MIGRATE.
THEY MIGRATE. >> Reporter: HE IS A BIOLOGIST
WITH WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF
FISH AND WILDLIFE AND HIS TEAM
IS COUNTING CHUM SALMON.
SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES
TO EAT THEM, BUT SCIENTISTS
BELIEVE THAT THEIR DIET DEPENDS
ON CHINOOK SALMON.
THE RUNS ARE DWINDLING AND THIS
TRAP IS HELPING SCIENTISTS
FIGURE OUT HOW TO STOP THIS.
>> IT TELLS US HOW MANY FISH
ARE COMING DOWN STREAM AND IT
IS A TOOL THAT WE USE TO MANAGE
FISHERIES AND TO INFORM HABITAT
RESTORATION.
RESTORATION. >> Reporter: HABITAT RESTORATION
ARE WORDS THAT YOU WILL HEAR
MOST OFTEN.
MOST OFTEN. LEVIES HAVE CUT OFF SIDE
STREAMS THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR
SALMON TRYING TO GROW BIGGER
AND STRONGER.>> THESE ARE
PLACES WHERE THE RIVER USED TO
FLOW AND NOW THEY ARE CUT OFF.
AND AS A RESULT, THEY ARE
INACCESSIBLE TO JUVENILE SALMON
MOVING ON THE RIVER.
>> Reporter: HE IS A FEDERAL
SCIENTIST.
SCIENTIST. INSTEAD OF A WELL MANICURED
RIVER WITH THE ROAD NEXT TO IT,
HE SHOWED ME WHAT THEY NEED TO
SURVIVE.
SURVIVE.
SURVIVE. >> YOU CAN SEE DOWNSTREAM A
PILE OF WOOD AND THOSE AREAS
PROVIDE SAFE PLACES FOR SALMON
AND THESE LITTLE SPOTS RIGHT
HERE, THIS IS ANOTHER PLACE
WHERE THEY CAN GO TO.
>> Reporter: THIS IS WHAT
SCIENTISTS CALL A FRESHWATER
FLOODPLAIN.
FLOODPLAIN. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR SALMON BUT
GRATES FOR MAKE MAKES FOR GREAT
AGRICULTURAL LAND.
AGRICULTURAL LAND. CHINOOK SALMON RUNS ARE 10% OF
WHAT THEY ONCE WERE.
>> THE LARGEST WILD POPULATION
IN PUGET SOUND, NEVERTHELESS,
YOU HAVE LESS HABITAT FOR
SALMON TO USE AS THEY BULK UP.
AS A CONSEQUENCE, THEY COMPETE
WITH EACH OTHER AND THAT LOST
HABITAT MEANS LOST PRODUCTION
OF ADULT STEM LINE.
>> Reporter: SCIENTIST ARE
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A BALANCE
SO WE CAN PRODUCE FOOD FOR
HUMANS AND FOOD FOR WHALES.
>> IT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME TO
FILL THE EFFECT OF RECOVERY,
AND SO THERE ARE SHORT-TERM
SOLUTIONS PEOPLE CAN TAKE, AND
THERE WILL BE LONG TERM ONCE.
IF WE WANT TO HAVE A POPULATION
OF SALMON TO FEED THE ORCAS, WE
HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE LONG-
TERM AND THE SHORT-TERM.
>> Reporter: TOMORROW NIGHT WE
WILL MOVE DOWN THE RIVER TO THE
ESTUARIES WHERE THE SALMON SPEND
THE NEXT PART OF THEIR
LIFECYCLE.
LIFECYCLE. I LEARNED THAT 10% OF THE
RESTORATION GOALS HAVE BEEN MET
AND THAT HAS TAKEN 20 YEARS,
WHICH SHOWS IT WILL TAKE A LONG
TIME AT THIS PACE FOR THE
RESTORATION PROJECT TO FINISH.
SOME THINK IT COULD TAKE 90 TO
100 YEARS FOR THE TOTAL
RESTORATION PROJECT.
RESTORATION PROJECT. AND THE KILLER WHALES DO NOT
HAVE THAT KIND OF TIME.
THERE ARE MANY OTHER ISSUES
THAT WE WILL DISCUSS THIS WEEK
FROM PREDATORS TO POLLUTION, AND
FOCUS A BIG WEEK NEXT WEEK ON
POLLUTION AS IT RELATES TO THE
SALMON AS WELL.
>> PEOPLE AT HOME WILL HAVE A
CHANCE TO ASK THE EXPERTS.
>> Reporter: EVERY WEDNESDAY
NIGHT, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT
THIS, WE WILL BRING IN A PANEL
OF EXPERTS.
OF EXPERTS. AND WE HAVE EIGHT PEOPLE.
AND IT WILL BE YOUR CHANCE ON
FACEBOOK TO WRITE IN AND ASK
THEM YOURSELF.
THEM YOURSELF. I REALLY WANT IS TO GIVE THE
PUBLIC AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO
DIRECT WITH THE PEOPLE ON THE
OUTLINE OF SALMON RECOVERY.
A LOT OF TIMES WE BRING STORIES
BACK AND I THINK THE PUBLIC IS
PASSIONATE RIGHT NOW ABOUT
WANTING ANSWERS AND
UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS GOING ON.
SO WE ARE EXCITED TO PUT YOU IN
DIRECT CONTACT WITH THOSE
EXPERTS SO YOU CAN HEAR WHAT
THEY HAD TO