DFO North Coast Update to Aug.11,2010

Here is the latest North Coast Salmon Update – Wednesday, Aug 11, 2010.
Information provided courtesy of DFO North Coast office in Prince Rupert.


North Coast Salmon Update: To August 11,2010
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 & 2
Estimate of total recreational Chinook catch for 2010 season is in the 45 K range.

CPUE for coho dropped significantly in the latter part of July.

Pinks are becoming more prevalent in the recreational fishery in Area 2W especially.

Pinks have begun to enter some Haida Gwaii inlets however no surpluses have been identified at this time.

Area 3
Last commercial fishery was conducted on July 26.

From Nisga’a Lisims Government – Fish and Wildlife Department:
The TRTC estimate being used by Nisga’a Fisheries for Nass sockeye is ~356,000 (Min/Max ranges: 318,000, 449,000).

The TRTC estimate for Nass Chinook is 14,400 (Min/Max ranges: 14,000, 15,000).

The very early in-season TRTC estimate being used by Nisga’a Fisheries for Nass coho is ~346,000 (Min/Max ranges: 170,000, 928,000).

The GW catch (500 vs. 3,000 mean) of pink is well below average based on mean catches for even years from 1994-2009 to week ending 7 August.

The GW catch (17 vs. 20 mean) of chum is about average based on mean catches from 1994-2009 to week ending 7 August.

The run size projection for Nass summer-run steelhead to GW to date is 9,000 (95% CI: 5,000, 14,000) based on in-season to post-season 94-09 linear regression relationship (r2=0.71).

Area 4
Estimated sockeye escapement through August 11 = 854,558.
Skeena sockeye aggregate run size annual forecast to August 10 is just over 1 million.

Tyee test indices:
(to August 10) 2010 index......2000s average.......90s average
Chinook.........178.63.............285.35.............219.45
Coho.............19.36..............24.10.............16.29
Pink.............168.61............251.66.............272.82(even year averages)
Chum.............10.24.............14.47..............20.95
Steelhead........108.78............62.15..............55.03

2010 Skeena Coho
The predicted marine survival for Toboggan Creek coho in 2010 is around 2.5%. This is in line with the other indicators; coho abundance isn't great but it isn't a cause for concern.

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 August 8th, 2010 are as follows:
• Sockeye = 3,994 ( including 57 hatchery)
• Chinook = 84 (+13 jacks)
• Pink = 2
• Chum = 0
• Coho = 1
We more than doubled our sockeye escapement this week, and on August 3rd we saw the highest one day escapement (n=1,379) of Kitwanga sockeye ever recorded at the KSEF. To date we have counted 3,937 wild and 57 hatchery sockeye through the fence, this escapement is the highest observed to the day since counts were initiated in 2003. This year’s escapement compares to a previous maximum observed to the day of 774 in 2003, which resulted in an overall escapement of 3,377 and the minimum observed to the day of 39 in 2008, which resulted in an overall estimated escapement of 1,200 for the year. Presently, hatchery fish make up 1.4 % of the total return for 2010. Based on these preliminary results it appears that hatchery fish may have had a slightly 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 84 which is the second lowest observed since counts were initiated in 2003. This year’s escapement compares to a maximum observed to the day of 2,027 in 2007, which resulted in an overall escapement of 3,225 and the minimum observed to the day of 46 in 2009, which resulted in an overall escapement of 824 for the year.

To date we have only counted 2 pink, no chum and 1 coho salmon through the KSEF. In previous years pinks show-up between July 22nd (2006) and August 6th (2008), chum between July 28th (2005) and August 21st (2006), while coho start migrating through the fence between August 6th (2010) and September 1st (2006).

From Gitksan Watershed Authorities:
The adult fish weir on Damshilgwet Creek in the Slamgeesh Watershed has been in operation in 2010 since July 27th. Stream water levels have been lower and water temperatures higher than the average of past years (2000-2009).

Damshilgwet Creek Fish Weir
Total fish counts from July 27th to the night of August 7th, 2010 are:
-159 Sockeye (including 21 sockeye <44cm)
-0 Coho
-0 Bull trout
-0 Chinook
-0 Pink
Seven of the 159 sockeye captures had adipose fin clips from previous smolt programs.
Total catch of sockeye at the weir to date is above average based on mean catches from previous years 2000–2009 (159 vs. 49); however, the 2010 sockeye run appears slightly earlier than previous years.

Areas 6, 7, & 8
Monitoring of Central Coast salmon returns is underway. No surpluses identified at this time.

On August 16, the recreational chum salmon fishery on Bella Coola and Atnarko Rivers closes due to low run size.

Area 10
Docee Fence - Comparative sockeye and coho counts to August 10:
..........Sockeye..........Coho
2010......38,191...........4322
2009......17,877...........2232
2008......16,323...........2260
2007......19,951...........549
2006......26,208...........2077
2005......14,619.........13,228
2004......7,810............4987


North Coast Troll
The latest DNA analysis, taken from catches in July, showed a WCVI presence of 5.2% of the catch. Using this number, as well as the WCVI component from previous DNA tests, it was estimated that the WCVI allowance of 2600 chinook has been taken. Therefore, the ITQ Chinook fishery closed midnight August 8.

The total projected troll catch of coho suggests an approximate harvest of just under 56,000 pieces with Areas 1, 101 and 142 comprising 89.5% of the total and Areas 102 and 105 accounting for balance.