North Coast Salmon Update #8

Here is the North Coast Salmon Update provided by DFO North Coast.
Some highlights include:
Nass Steelhead: Tracking below average at 887 versus 1,400.
The run size estimate of Nass summer-run steelhead to Gitwinksihlkw to 6 August is 887 with ~19% (94-08 median) of the run estimated to have passed Gitwinksihlkw to date. The run size estimate is currently tracking below average (1,400) based on the mean returns from 1994 to 2008.

Skeena Pink fishery for seines: Low vessels counts, only 2 boats participated on Sunday, Aug.9th and 8 on Monday, Aug10th.
Skeena sockeye: approx 95% of the run in the river: still closed for commercial fishing
Skeena steelhead: Index at 86.75 compared to 1990's average of 55.03


Area 6: Mouth of Douglas Channel: Gil Island seine fishery fished Sunday and Monday, August 9 & 10. Gear count was 57 seines on Sunday, dropping to 36 on Monday. Total annual seine catch of pinks in Area 6 is now just over 5 million.



North Coast Salmon Update – Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Please note that in-season updates always deal in preliminary numbers. Usually these change somewhat upon receipt and analysis of all the data.

Areas 1 & 2
Inseason estimates of total recreational fishing catch for Haida Gwaii / QCI 2009
(Table of data provided, but does not copy well into blogger. Condensed info below)

Season Total: May-July
Coho: 27315
Chinook: 20660
Pink: 825
Sockeye:117
Chum: 745
Rockfish: 9060
Halibut:11110
Lingcod:6050
Note:July estimates are based on incomplete data and are subject to change.


Area 3
From Nisga’a Fisheries:
Sockeye: The Nass sockeye run size estimate to Gitwinksihlkw to 6 August (237,695) is currently tracking above average (225,000) based on a mean run size to Gitwinksihlkw of 278,000 from 1994 to 2008. Using final mark-recapture estimates to 1 August, preliminary forecast methods are currently predicting to be very close to meeting the run size target to Gitwinksihlkw (275,000) depending on % run timing estimates to date with estimates ranging between 259,000 (in-season to final method) and 296,000 (using mean run timing method; range 279,000-314,000) using two different forecast methods.

Chinook: The in-season tracking of the Nass Chinook run to Gitwinksihlkw predicted 23,000 as the final in-season run size total to Gitwinksihlkw using the two methods (in-season to final and mean run timing methods). Nisga’a Fisheries estimates that 98% (94-08 median) of the run has passed Gitwinksihlkw to date. The run size target for 2009 has been reached based on in-season data.

Coho: The run size estimate of Nass coho to Gitwinksihlkw to 6 August is 29,972 with ~15% (94-08 median) of the run estimated to have passed Gitwinksihlkw to date. The current estimate is well above average (10,000) based on the mean returns from 1994 to 2008. The run size target for Nass coho to Gitwinksihlkw is ~65,000 depending on harvests projected above Gitwinksihlkw and during typical Gitwinksihlkw fishwheel operation (July to early-mid September) as coho continue to pass the fishwheels after the fishwheel program ends operation.

Pink: The total fishwheel catch (13,447) of pink salmon to 6 August is below the mean catch (18,000) for odd-year returns from 2000 to 2008. Note that pre-season and in-season forecasting of Nass area pinks are poorly developed for Area 3 currently.

Chum: The total fishwheel catch of chum salmon (14) to 6 August is below the mean catch (44) level based on total fishwheel catches from 2000 to 2008. However, chum catches (9) at the Gitwinksihlkw fishwheels to week ending, 1 August, are just below average (92-08 average is 10).

Steelhead: The run size estimate of Nass summer-run steelhead to Gitwinksihlkw to 6 August is 887 with ~19% (94-08 median) of the run estimated to have passed Gitwinksihlkw to date. The run size estimate is currently tracking below average (1,400) based on the mean returns from 1994 to 2008.

Area 3 commercial fishery:
Seines fished Sunday, August 9 and Monday, August 10. Pink salmon were the only species allowed to be retained. 1 seine vessel participated. Total seine catch of pinks in Area 3 (for the year) is 809,000.

Area 4

Area 4 commercial fishery:
Seines fished Sunday, August 9 and Monday, August 10. Pink salmon were the only species allowed to be retained. 2 seine vessels participated Sunday, with the count rising to 8 by Monday. 4-15 (Skeena River subarea) was closed to further protect the last of the migrating sockeye. Total seine catch of pinks in Area 4 is 164,000.

Sockeye escapement through August 10 = 813,383. To reach the production escapement target of 900,000 and to achieve 150,000 for FSC purposes, we would have wanted about 972,000 in the river by now. Approximately 95% of the Skeena sockeye run should now be in the river.

Tyee test indices (through August 10):
2009 index 2000s average 90s average
Coho................34.03............................24.10...........................16.29
Pink.................1073.50........................928.69..........................550.68 (odd year averages)
Chum...................12.05.......................14.47.............................20.95
Chinook...............213.01......................285.35...........................219.45
Steelhead..............86.75.......................62.15.............................55.03

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

Preliminary July numbers will be available for next week’s update.

From the Gitanyow Fisheries Program:
· Sockeye = 55
· Chinook = 52
· Pink = 354
· Chum = 1
· Coho = 7
To date we have counted 55 sockeye through the Kitwanga River Salmon Enumeration Facility (KSEF). This year’s escapement compares to a maximum observed to the day of 1,429 in 2003 which resulted in an overall escapement of 3,377 and the minimum observed to the day of 21 in 2004 which resulted in an overall estimated escapement of 1,264 for the year.

Chinook escapement to the Kitwanga River for 2009 to the day are the lowest observed since counts were initiated in 2003. Based on average run timing to the day we would predict that almost two thirds of the run should have traversed the KSEF at this point. This year’s escapement compares to a maximum observed to the day of 2,236 in 2007 which resulted in an overall escapement of 3,225 and the minimum observed to the day of 501 in 2008 which resulted in an overall escapement of 1,450 for the year.

We counted our first pink salmon through the KSEF on August 1st, 2009. In previous years we start seeing pinks show-up between July 22nd (2006) and August 6th (2008). Pink escapement to the Kitwanga River for 2009 to the day for odd year cohorts are the lowest observed since counts were initiated in 2003. This year’s escapement compares to a maximum observed to the day of 39,353 in 2005 which resulted in an overall escapement of 229,226 and the minimum observed to the day of 1,241 in 2007 which resulted in an overall escapement of 196,768 for the year.

We counted our first chum of the year on August 9th, 2009. In previous years we start seeing chum show-up between July 28th (2005) and August 17th (2008).

We counted our first coho salmon of the year on August 6th, 2009 the earliest we have ever seen a coho traverse the fence since accurate enumeration began in 2003. In previous years we start seeing coho show-up between August 7th (2005) and September 1st (2006).

Area 6
Gil Island seine fishery fished Sunday and Monday, August 9 & 10. Gear count was 57 seines on Sunday, dropping to 36 on Monday. Total annual seine catch of pinks in Area 6 is now just over 5 million.

Brood stock collection of Chums is proceeding at the Kitimat Hatchery. It is unlikely a further fishing opportunity will be available in 6-1.

Areas 7 & 8
Gn and Sn were both closed this week.

Area 9
Recreational Chinook and coho CPUE appears to be up sharply from recent years:

Area 10
Docee Fence total sockeye to end of August 9 = 17,729, which exceeds the pre-season forecast of 15,700.

Coho count (1760) is no longer the worst count in the last 10 years, 2 other years had lower counts at this time, 2006 & 2007.

North Coast troll -
The Salmon Area F Demo ITQ Chinook fishery closed at 2359 hours Monday, August 3rd until further notice. Further harvest opportunities will be dependant on the balance of the WCVI mort and the PST allocations coupled with the prevalence of WCVI Chinook in the harvest areas. A tentative restart date has been established within the Integrated Management Plan for August 29th though this is tentative and subject to change.

The coho fishery remains open in Areas 102, 104, 5, 105 as per the IFMP. With respect to those harvest areas previously opened, they include a portion of the NW corner of the QCI and Dixon Entrance from the North Shore of the QCI to the Canada/US Boundary termed the A-B Line strip (Areas 1 and 101). The southernmost boundary has been redefined for Subarea 142-2 south of Hippa Island. Sockeye and chum salmon in the North Coast remains closed until further notice.

The most recent DNA results have observed a slight increase in the WCVI prevalence from the previous samples with 1.2% covering the period from July 11 to 22 and just over 3% leading up to the closure. The latest WCVI % covering the period July 19 to 25 is 6.1%

The total number of WCVI morts harvested to date indicates a total of 2,108 pieces (73.7% of the WCVI TAC) based upon the projected Chinook catch to July 26th. This total is a current estimate only and will be subject to retroactive change based upon the receipt of further sample results.

The total projected troll catch suggests an approximate harvest of 68,757 Chinook (73.9%) against the established TAC of 93,000 Chinook. The catch will be verified this week as trollers unload. A decision on a troll re-start, if appropriate, will be made this week for a possible announcement near week end or early next week.