Northern Pikeminnow eat millions of salmon and steelhead juveniles each year in the Columbia and Snake river systems. The goal of the program is not to eliminate Northern Pikeminnow, a native species, but rather to reduce the number of large fish. Reducing the number of these larger predators can greatly increase the salmon and steelhead juveniles making it out to sea.
The Bonneville Power Administration funds the program to partially mitigate for the impact of the federal Columbia River hydroelectric system on salmon. Results indicate the program is successful. Since the Sport-Reward Fishery was implemented in 1991, predation of juvenile salmon by Northern Pikeminnow has been reduced up to 40% through the removal of nearly 6 million Northern Pikeminnow.
The Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission administers the overall Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Program. The program is run in cooperation with Northwest fish management agencies and tribes.