Western Washington's Cowlitz Indian tribe is celebrating new federal protection for the Pacific smelt. The National Marine Fisheries Service Tuesday added the smelt to the threatened species list. The small, silvery fish goes by a bunch of other names, reflecting its value to different groups.
The historical habitat range of the Pacific Smelt
Recreational and commercial fishermen typically call them smelt. A smelt fry could be a highlight of late winter on West Coast rivers. The vanishing critter also goes by the name candlefish because supposedly they're so rich in oil you can light one. Ecologist Nathan Reynolds said native tribes prized the fish because they used to spawn just when winter hunger pangs got bad.“When the smelt come in – when the eulachon arrive – all of a sudden you have a resource that is rich in high value, high energy fats. It really represents that you have survived through to spring time. The species is also known as salvation fish," he said.Reynolds works for the Cowlitz Indian tribe. It petitioned for federal protection of the eulachon, or whatever you want to call it.“It is not as highly visible as the salmon, but it essentially is the second most important fish for all of the indian communities living along the lower Columbia River," he said.Reynolds say now that the eulachon or Pacific smelt is listed, what happens next to protect the fish has not been determined. The food and bait species has gone into abrupt decline, possibly due to warming of the ocean. The ocean shrimp trawl fishery may have to make additional gear modifications to reduce accidental catches. See Also:NOAA Fisheries
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