North Coast Salmon Update to Aug24th

Here is the North Coast Update to Thursday August 27. This will be the last Update for this season.
Information courtesy DFO North Coast. Thanks to Area Chief for Resource Management David Einarson for providing these Updates through this season.
Of note in this Update:
-commercial fisheries in Area 4 Skeena closed for the season
-Nass steelhead run above average....see below


North Coast Salmon Update – Thursday, August 27, 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
Assessments will start in September and proceed through October on late timed chum streams. Fisheries are possible on identified surpluses.

Area 3
From Nisga’a Fisheries:
Sockeye: The net escapement estimate for Nass sockeye to date is 216,500 with 33,984 sockeye estimated to have been harvested above GW. The current net escapement target is ~200,000 (160,000 to Meziadin River and ~40,000 to non-Meziadin systems). Total counts of sockeye at Meziadin to 20 August are: 116,630 adults (3,242 tags) and 8,135 jacks.

Chinook: The Nass Chinook run size estimate to Gitwinksihlkw (23,538) is tracking above average (22,300) abundance levels to 20 August based on a mean run size to Gitwinksihlkw of 23,000 from 1994 to 2008. The run size target for Nass Chinook to Gitwinksihlkw is 17,000 depending on harvests projected above Gitwinksihlkw. 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 20 August is 116,439 with ~63% (94-08 median) of the run estimated to have passed Gitwinksihlkw to date. Based on the in-season data to date, the run size target to GW has been achieved for 2009.

Pink: The total fishwheel catch (34,825) of pink salmon to 20 August is above the mean catch (24,000) for odd-year returns from 2000 to 2008.

Chum: The total fishwheel catch of chum salmon (40) to 20 August is below the mean catch (80) level based on total fishwheel catches from 2000 to 2008.

Summer-Run Steelhead: The run size estimate of Nass summer-run steelhead to Gitwinksihlkw to 20 August is 7,432 with ~44% (94-08 median) of the run estimated to have passed Gitwinksihlkw to date. During typical Gitwinksihlkw fishwheel operation (July to early to mid September), the preliminary minimum run size target for Nass summer-run steelhead to Gitwinksihlkw is ~4,200 depending on any losses projected above Gitwinksihlkw and has been reached in 2009 based on in-season data.

Area 3 commercial fishery:
Closed for the balance of the season for both gill net and seine fisheries.
Troll coho fishery opened August 22, 11 trollers have hailed in to the area.

Nass River demonstration fishery:
The Gitanyow have now harvested their 1500 Nass sockeye allocation.
Area 4

Area 4 commercial fishery:
Closed for the balance of the season for both gill net and seine fisheries.

Skeena River Demonstration and ESSR Fisheries:
A Pink salmon demonstration commercial fishery has been occurring at Babine Fence, with a harvest of approximately 15,000 to date.

An ESSR fishery for pinks has been occurring at Moricetown Canyon. Harvest of approximately 10,300 has occurred.

Tyee test fishery: This test fishery has ended after August 24 in past years, and so that is the date to which annual comparisons are generally done.

Sockeye escapement through August 17 = 866,755 by end of August 24.

Pink estimated run size is 2.75M.

Tyee test indices (through August 24):
..............2009 index.............2000s average.........90s average
Coho...........76.54...................53.41..................34.67
Chum...........22.86...................40.16..................48.68
Chinook.......216.65..................288.06..................221.62
Steelhead.....119.25..................103.87.................82.01


Area 3 / 4 Chatham Sound Recreational Creel Survey (in-season preliminary numbers):
June:.................2009...............2008
Chinook............ .5113..............7708
Coho..................4394..............3913

July:
Chinook.............4191...............3080
Coho................18927.............15982
Effort..............3925 trips.........3750 trips

From the Gitanyow Fisheries Program:
Fence counts to August 23:
· Sockeye = 1,279
· Chinook = 711
· Pink = 211,591
· Chum = 87
· Coho = 567
Area 6
Gill nets closed for the balance of the season.
Seine fishery: assessment continues, further fisheries possible but unlikely.

Pink catch in Area 6 this year broke a record (records checked back to 1985), with a catch of about 6.55M.

Area 7
Assessments will continue throughout September and into October of the late timing streams in Area 7, fisheries are possible on identified surpluses.

Area 8
Gn and Sn both closed for the balance of the season.

Area 10
Docee Fence total sockeye to end of August 25:

Total Sockeye to date: 18,390 Total Coho to date: 8,528


Note:
This is expected to be the final 2009 weekly update for north coast salmon fisheries.