North Coast Update to July 26,2010

Here is the latest North Coast Update to July 26th, 2010. Information provided courtesy of DFO North Coast, Prince Rupert.



North Coast Salmon Update – Tuesday, Jul 27, 2010
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 and 2
(Table deleted)
Projected total catch to end of year is around 40,000 chinook. Pre-season, 45,000 chinook were set aside in the AABM allowance for this fishery. A more accurate estimate will be made after the end of July numbers are in, to see if there is any amount to transfer to the troll TAC.

Area 3
July 26 – 17 gill net, 8 seines participated

Area 3 commercial fishery:
Ttl retained catch to-date:
...............Sockeye.......Coho........Pink.......Chum........Chinook
Gill net......65,649............0.........30,150.....15,388........694
Seine.........2108..............0.........23,220......0............0

Ttl..........67,757.............0.......53,370.....15,388.......694




Tree Point (Alaska) Gill Net Catch Update:
.............Cumulative Total
Chinook.........1,254
Sockeye.........32,457
Coho............5,783
Pink............110,516
Chum............218,668
Boats...........249
Days............18



From Nisga’a Lisims Government – Fish and Wildlife Department:

The Total Return to Canada estimate for Nass sockeye is ~392,000 (not accounting for an estimate of catches in the marine fishery yesterday), range is 324,000 to 491,000, mean timing estimate is 63%.

The TRTC estimate for Nass Chinook is 15,600 (Min/Max ranges: 15,000, 16,000).

The run size projection for Upper Nass Coho to GW to date is 118,000 (95% CI: 46,000, 190,000).

The GW catch (48 vs. 400 mean) of pink is below average.

The GW catch (6 vs. 5 mean) of chum is average.

The GW catch (20 vs. 11 mean) of steelhead is above average.

Area 4

Estimated sockeye escapement through July 26 = 648,715. Skeena sockeye aggregate run size annual forecast to July 26 is 1,117,260 (855,956 Early to 1,772,453 Late). The week of July 29 – Aug 4 should see the peak of the Babine River stock pass through the fishing area. The remainder of the aggregate Skeena sockeye run should be dominated by the Babine River stock.

Area 4 & 5 retained catch to date:
...............Sockeye.......Coho.....Pink......Chum......Chinook
Gill net..... 52,409......... 0...... 11,820.....0..........1004
Seine......... 150........... 0.........0........0............0

Allocative sockeye split for Management Areas 3, 4, & 5:
Gill net 98.1%
Seine 1.9%


Tyee test indices: (to July 26)
...........2010 index.........2000s average..........90s average
Chinook.....167.60............ 208.37...................165.82
Coho........4.03...............3.35.......................3.41
Pink.......14.33...............36.21...................47.41 (even year averages)
Chum.......1.54.................2.06......................3.67
Steelhead...40.47...............19.97...................21.20

Lower Skeena River Creel Survey - For the period up to 30 June, 2010
This project commenced on 5 June 2010. The focus of the project is to monitor fishing activities in three zones of the Skeena River. Interviews and effort surveys are being conducted to quantify the timing, duration, type and location of fishing activities. As well, catch is being enumerated separately for fish that are kept vs. released.

During the month of June, 18 official effort surveys were conducted, each visiting all three geographic strata. During these surveys, 598 shore-based and 90 boat-based anglers were observed, of which 241 (40%) and 14 (16%) were interviewed, respectively. In addition, a truck-based surveyor interviewed another 129 anglers over 7 days of work.
Preliminary analyses showed that Chinook was the most commonly caught species in June (~700 fish per month, SE = 135). The largest number of Chinook were caught in River Stratum One. Steelhead were caught less frequently, though confidence bounds on the estimate were wide (~16 fish per month, SE = 108). All Steelhead were caught in River Stratum Three. Chinook jacks, coho, sockeye and pink salmon were not caught in June.


Area 3/4 Chatham Sound recreational creel survey – June summary:
Catch estimates: 2010...... 2009....... 2008
Chinook............... 3903...... 4840....... 7708
Coho..................... 4486.......3813....... 3913

Ttl effort (boat trips) 3345/ 3038/ 4696

From Gitanyow Fisheries Authority:
The Kitwanga River Salmon Enumeration Facility has been in operation since July 7th, 2010 under lower than normal water conditions. Total salmon counts to the night of July 25th, 2010 are as follows:
· Sockeye = 261 ( 16 hatchery)
· Chinook = 6
· Pink = 0
· Chum = 0
· Coho = 0
To date we have counted 245 wild and 16 hatchery sockeye through the fence. This years escapement compares to a maximum observed to the day of 396 in 2006 which resulted in an overall escapement of 5,139 and the minimum observed to the day of zero in 2008, which resulted in an overall estimated escapement of 1,200 for the year. Presently, hatchery fish make up 6.1% of the total return for 2010. Based on these very preliminary results it appears that hatchery fish may have had a higher survival rate then wild fish given that the total hatchery smolt output in 2008 was only 1.2%.

Chinook escapement to the Kitwanga River for 2010 to the day is 6 which is the lowest observed since counts were initiated in 2003. This years escapement compares to a maximum observed to the day of 805 in 2006 which resulted in an overall escapement of 3,014 and the minimum observed to the day of 17 in 2009, which resulted in an overall escapement of 824 for the year.

Area 6

July 26:
13 seines – 14,968 pinks, 1736 sockeye.

5 gill net – 567 chum, 50 sockeye

Ttl retained in A6 to-date:
..............Sockeye......coho.......pink.......chum......chinook
Seine.......... 1737........0.........14968.......0............0
Gill net....... 299.........0.........430........1612..........19

Ttl.............2036........0.........15,398.....1612..........19

Area 8

July 26: 35 gill net- 2244 chum
0 seines in Area 8

Ttl gill net catch:
...Sockeye..... coho.........pink.......chum.......Chinook
....197..........0...........1016.......3725.........1426

Area 10
Docee Fence - Comparative sockeye and coho counts to July 26:
Sockeye Coho
2010 - 31,426 1439
2009 - 12,467 210
2008 - 14,751 96
2007 - 18,572 220
2006 - 18,790 904
2005 - 7,765 4818
2004 - 5,855 2097


North Coast Troll
From Dave Rekdal:
The total projected troll catch to July 23rd suggests an approximate harvest of 64,000 Chinook (59.8%) against the established TAC of 107,100 Chinook.

No new DNA results were received during the past week. Approximately 50 – 60 troll vessels were working prior to the coho opening.

Troll Management Actions:
Regular coho fishery opened July 22.