The Northern Pikeminnow Management Program (NPMP) is a basin-wide program to harvest northern pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus oregonensis).  It was started in 1991 in an effort to reduce predation by northern pikeminnow on juvenile salmonids during their emigration from natal streams to the ocean.  Modeling studies in John Day reservoir in the 1980's indicated a 10-20% removal of predacious sized pikeminnows could cut predation by up to 50%.  Over the years various gear types, both sport and commercial, were tested to determine the most expeditious means to remove 10-20% of the pikeminnows.  The Sport Reward Fishery using sport anglers with hook and line was found to be the most effective.  The NPMP is administered technically and fiscally by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) in cooperation with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW).  Program evaluation, population indexing, tagging operations, and other predator response is studied and evaluated by ODFW.  The Sport Reward Fishery is implemented by WDFW through manning Sport Reward Fishery registration stations, collecting and disposing of pikeminnows caught and issuance of reward vouchers.  The PSMFC pays all rewards and assists WDFW in staffing the registration stations along with fiscal and technical services to the two state agencies.  The NPMP is currently in the management phase of the program, having explored and refined the most effective techniques to remove pikeminnows over the past twenty years.  The applied research component handled by ODFW continues each year along with the management component.  The 2012 season will again see a heavy up of the sport fishery rewards implemented during 2004.  In 2004, the most pikeminnow were removed in the history of the program (267,000 for a 17% exploitation rate followed by 242,315 for a 19% exploitation rate in 2005; 237,704 for a 17% exploitation rate in 2006, and 191,154 for an exploitation rate of 17% in 2007;162,025 in 2008 for an exploitation rate of 19.6%; 142,002 for an exploitation rate of 12.8% in 2009; and 173,981 for an exploitation rate of 18.8 % in 2010; 155,312 for an exploitation rate of 15.6% in 2011).  Also in 2012, dam angling fisheries will again be contracted by PSMFC to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to conduct dam angling at The Dalles and John Day dams.