North Coast Update #6 To July 28

Here is the North Coast Salmon Update to July 28, courtesy of DFO North Coast.


North Coast Salmon Update – Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Please note that in-season updates always deal in preliminary numbers. Usually these
change somewhat upon receipt and analysis of all the data.

Area 3
From Nisga’a Fisheries:
Depending on the cumulative run timing estimate used to date, the in-season Nass sockeye projected TRTC is between 391,000 (using 2008 run timing - 75%) and 467,000 (using 93-08 median run timing and entitlement - 62%) and continues to track well below the pre-season TRTC and entitlement estimate (511,000 TRTC; 86,000 entitlement). We believe the run is more advanced than the median estimate based on the high number of jacks and larger fish observed over the past week that typically suggest a more advanced run timing.

Area 3 commercial fishery:
..............Sockeye.... Coho..... Pink......... Chum.... Chinook..... Stld release
Seine: .....8210........ 0........ 517913........ 0............. 0................. 42
Gill net:.. 103628... 0........ 184679 ......47197 .......1299............. 291

Ttl.......... 111,838..... 0...... 702,592... ..47,197..... 1299............. 333
Allocative split :
.......................Gill net......... Seine
Sockeye:......... 93%.............. 7%
Pink : ..............26%.............. 74%

Observer Data:
Area 3 J.O. Thomas Monitoring Summary (to July 16, 2009)
(Editor's Note: A table was included in the Update but does not transition well to blogger so was not included. Pertinent info includes a total of 93 gillnet sets observed with 2 steelhead released. And 63 seine sets observed with 0 steelhead observed.)

Area 4
Sockeye escapement through July 27 = 606,567. To reach the production escapement target of 900,000 and to achieve 150,000 for FSC purposes, we would have wanted about 683,000 in the river by now. Projected total return is now estimated to be just less than 1 million.

Tyee test indices:
(to July 28)
............................2009 index ................2000s average ................90s average
Coho...................... 8.07................................ 4.33.................................. 4.13
Pink ......................146.55............................ 269.64............................ 95.08 (odd year averages)
Chum .....................3.31............................... 2.41................................. 4.16
Chinook............... 199.45.......................... 269.32............................. 209.76
Steelhead.............. 34.17 ...........................22.84................................ 23.39

Area 3 / 4 Chatham Sound Recreational Creel Survey (in-season preliminary numbers):

June:.................. 2009............ 2008
Chinook.............. 5113............ 7708
Coho................... 4394............ 3913
Sockeye 3 no data

Recreational tidal effort is about 80% of 2008 levels.

From the Gitanyow Fisheries Program:
The Kitwanga River Salmon Enumeration Facility has been in operation since July 10th, 2009 under slightly higher than normal water conditions, and total salmon counts to the night of July 27th, 2009 are as follows:
• Sockeye = 3
• Chinook = 17
• Pink = 0
• Chum = 0
• Coho = 0
To date we have counted only 3 sockeye through the fence. This years escapement compares to a maximum observed to the day of 404 in 2006 which resulted in an overall escapement of 5,139 and the minimum observed to the day of zero, which resulted in an overall estimated escapement of 1,200 for the year.

Chinook escapement to the Kitwanga River for 2009 to the day is the lowest observed since counts were initiated in 2003. This years escapement compares to a maximum observed to the day of 841 in 2006 which resulted in an overall escapement of 3,014 and the minimum observed to the day of 46, which resulted in an overall escapement of 1,776 for the year.

Area 6
Douglas Channel (6-1) opened for gn Mon-Tue July 27-28. 45 gn vessels fished, average catch was 100 chum on Monday.

Seine fishery around Gil Island took place Monday, July 27. 36 seines fished, average 13,000 pinks. Re-opening scheduled for Thursday.

Area 8
Gn and Sn fished Monday, July 27. Bella Coola gill net area – 53 gn, average 100 chum. Fisher/Fitzhugh – 48 gn, average 140 chum. 6 seines fished, average 7700 pink, 600 chum.

Area 10
Docee Fence total sockeye to end of July 27 = 13,509. The in season model is in line with the preseason forecast of 15,700.

North Coast troll -
50 – 60 trollers working. Coho opening saw fairly good averages near 175 per vessel. Since then, average coho catch has dropped to around 50 per day.

Estimated WCVI chinook taken is about 1949 out of an allowance of 2860. Chinook fishery is scheduled to close Aug 3.

Sockeye and chum are closed.