Latest and Last North Coast Update

Here is the latest and last DFO North Coast Salmon Update. The Updates can
be accessed here

North Coast Salmon Update – Wednesday, Aug 31, 2011

Please note that in-season updates contain preliminary numbers and are provided for reference only.

Area 2E

A gill net fishery has been announced for Pallant Creek coho in Cumshewa Inlet on August 30 to 31, but no information is yet available.

Area 3

Area 3 is closed for the season for both seines and gill nets. Pink and coho escapements to date are well below average.   

Seines: http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/northcoast/commercl/avsn.htm

		Sockeye Salmon		Coho Salmon		Pink Salmon		Chum Salmon		Chinook Salmon		Steelhead
Date	Effort	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Rel
11-Jul	12	873	0	0	80	14362	0	0	3239	0	45	2
18-Jul	9	0	3033	0	189	28703	0	0	15525	0	56	0
28-Jul	49	16980	0	0	1486	88186	0	0	9249	0	188	108
29-Jul	48	29089	0	0	1802	108954	0	0	24317	0	360	149
01-Aug	19	4712	0	1292	0	25352	0	0	2416	0	93	17
02-Aug	27	9774	0	1593	0	32913	0	0	2349	0	127	11
Total	164	61428	3033	2885	3557	298470	0	0	57095	0	869	287

Gill net:  http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/northcoast/commercl/avgn.htm

		Sockeye Salmon		Coho Salmon		Pink Salmon		Chum Salmon		Chinook Salmon		Steelhead
Date	Effort	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Rel
19-Jun	125	6801	0	0	8	0	5	0	135	185	45	27
27-Jun	132	6585	0	0	5	3	12	0	75	168	69	19
28-Jun	127	1968	0	0	9	3	3	0	82	288	69	14
04-Jul	139	12417	0	0	25	980	25	0	871	149	29	11
05-Jul	139	9224	0	0	38	1881	33	0	794	148	28	14
07-Jul	145	10041	0	0	80	6243	76	0	1581	90	43	20
01-Aug	52	4963	0	511	21	4674	0	0	555	0	3	3
02-Aug	73	6640	0	287	0	5799	0	0	423	0	5	34
08-Aug	76	10981	0	478	0	7962	0	0	426	9	6	111
15-Aug	10	528	0	88	0	1064	0	0	188	0	0	96
Total	1018	70148	0	1364	186	28609	154	0	5130	1037	297	349

MEZIADIN FISHWAY UPDATE
The Meziadin Fishway operations started on 1 July. Counts are shown below:  Counts at Meziadin Fishway are above average for adult sockeye, coho, steelhead, and pink, and below average for adult Chinook. Projected escapement target (160,000) to Meziadin Fishway for adult sockeye is currently on target based on current estimated numbers of sockeye that have passed Gitwinksihlkw and counted at Fishway.

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/northcoast/counts/meziadin/meziadin.htm

KWINAGEESE WEIR UPDATE

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/northcoast/counts/Nisga'aFisheriesUpdate.pdf

Area 4

The aggregate Skeena sockeye escapement past Tyee to August 23 is estimated to be 1.48 million. Pink escapements to the Skeena and coastal streams are being assessed but all available indications suggest well below average abundances. Area 4 is closed for the season to gill nets and further pink-directed seine opportunities are very unlikely.

Tyee test indices to Aug 22:

Species	2011	2000's	1990's	1980's	1970's	1960's	1950's
Sockeye	2212	1825	1135	1527	1403	823	811
Coho	28.65	36.52	24.08	42.96	61.54	96.81	79.63
Pink	554.25	697.74	562.55	786.53	582.13	547.44	1094.15
Chum	27.97	25.72	32.27	43.73	24.94	30.05	32.51
Chinook	180.65	287.73	220.76	176.20	100.85	106.92	188.82
Steelhead	83.92	83.53	69.67	89.44	52.20	67.80	38.10

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/northcoast/skeena/tyeetest.htm

In-land commercial fisheries are occurring at the Babine fence and an ESSR fishery is occurring near the Fulton River spawning channels in Babine Lake.  The Demonstration fishery in the Skeena has harvested 60,000 sockeye and the ESSR at the Fulton facility in Babine lake is at 153,000 sockeye. 

Kitwanga River:

The Gitanyow Fisheries Authority (GFA) provide weekly updates on salmon escapement to the Kitwanga River in 2011.  The Kitwanga River Salmon Enumeration Facility (KSEF) has been in operation for the 2011 season since July 13^th, under higher than normal water conditions. Water temperatures have averaged 9-12ºC. Total salmon counts to the evening of August 29th, 2011 are as follows:

·    Sockeye =   1,284 (incl. 18 hatchery)

·    Chinook =  714 (not incl. 56 jacks)

·    Pink     =  40,107

·    Chum   = 99

·    Coho    =  155 (incl. 26 Clipped – CWT)

The total sockeye count through the KSEF to date equals 1,266 wild and 18 hatchery fish.  This years escapement compares to the previous maximum observed to the day of 14,721 in 2010, which resulted in an overall escapement of 20,054 and the minimum observed to the day of 168 in 2007, which resulted in an overall escapement of 245 for the year.  Based on average run timing through the KSEF (2003-2010) it is predicted that approximately 58% of the run should have now migrated past the site.

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/northcoast/counts/kitwanga/kitwanga.htm

Seines: http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/northcoast/commercl/avsn.htm

		Sockeye Salmon		Coho Salmon		Pink Salmon		Chum Salmon		Chinook Salmon		Steelhead
Date	Effort	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Rel
15-Jul	22	6780	0	0	135	1146	0	0	61	0	97	0
16-Jul	22	16237	35	0	100	2314	0	0	51	0	103	0
17-Jul	6	2598	0	0	41	668	0	0	21	0	35	0
18-Jul	2	860	0	0	1	90	0	0	0	0	4	0
5-Aug	11	6758	2000	348	0	17207	0	0	266	0	39	0
6-Aug	1	30	0	23	0	289	0	0	1	0	1	0
7-Aug	4	865	0	33	16	1345	0	0	61	0	6	0
8-Aug	5	3359	0	32	22	3415	0	0	132	0	14	0
9-Aug	19	7927	0	784	0	19280	0	0	346	0	101	0
10-Aug	21	8160	0	847	0	16765	0	0	383	0	71	0
13-Aug	15	4159	0	967	2	14255	0	0	353	0	37	0
14-Aug	8	2949	0	876	0	14883	0	0	446	0	24	0
Total	136	59623	2035	3910	317	91657	0	0	2121	0	532	0

Gill Nets: http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/northcoast/commercl/avgn.htm

		Sockeye Salmon		Coho Salmon		Pink Salmon		Chum Salmon		Chinook Salmon		Steelhead
Date	Effort	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Rel
20-Jun	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
21-Jun	68	0	57	0	0	0	0	0	0	1193	2	29
13-Jul	235	27662	0	0	281	1756	16	0	497	182	35	32
18-Jul	252	47888	0	0	353	8731	44	0	376	144	26	62
27-Jul	233	48095	0	0	362	23808	91	0	435	42	16	138
01-Aug	184	44344	0	0	305	17508	164	0	192	32	9	160
04-Aug	214	24784	0	491	0	12628	0	0	230	44	2	153
07-Aug	175	37208	0	528	5	18082	0	0	250	10	2	418
11-Aug	143	13152	0	675	0	8113	79	0	274	19	0	359
15-Aug	91	5312	0	817	0	3807	0	0	310	0	0	330
Total	1595	248445	57	2511	1306	94433	394	0	2564	1666	92	1681

Allocation for Areas 3,4,5:

	Gill Net	Seine	Totals
Area 3	70,148	61,428	131,576
Area 4&5	250,055	65,186	315,241
Skeena Inland	33,230	14,450	47,680
Totals	353,433	141,064	494,497
Gear Allocation	71%	29%
Overage/underage	-17,440	17,440

Area 5

Pink escapements to coastal streams are being examined but no surpluses have been identified and further fishing opportunities for seines are very unlikely.  

Area 6

Current assessments for pink and chum suggest no further harvestable surpluses. Assessment will continue but no further net fisheries are anticipated.

Seines: http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/northcoast/commercl/avsn.htm

		Sockeye Salmon		Coho Salmon		Pink Salmon		Chum Salmon		Chinook Salmon		Steelhead
Date	Effort	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Rel
11-Jul	6	1230	0	0	165	9102	0	0	1393	0	9	0
18-Jul	24	4916	0	0	785	74771	0	0	7687	0	73	10
25-Jul	54	8733	0	0	4427	187058	0	0	24363	0	290	13
01-Aug	33	4277	0	352	3806	184610	0	0	21393	0	52	3
08-Aug	36	4255	0	6473	0	156035	0	0	12194	0	113	9
15-Aug	26	2492	0	4061	0	94563	0	0	5469	0	63	15
Total	179	25903	0	10886	9183	706139	0	0	72499	0	600	50

Gill Nets: http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/northcoast/commercl/avgn.htm

		Sockeye Salmon		Coho Salmon		Pink Salmon		Chum Salmon		Chinook Salmon		Steelhead
Date	Effort	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Rel
08-Aug	23	271	0	258	0	1236	0	5168	0	1	0	0
09-Aug	22	244	0	179	0	1049	0	3322	0	0	0	1
11-Aug	15	100	0	130	0	773	0	4678	0	0	1	0
12-Aug	15	55	0	79	0	238	0	1745	0	0	0	0
15-Aug	9	17	0	102	0	141	0	1760	0	1	0	0
16-Aug	8	47	0	122	0	194	0	1710	0	1	0	0
Total	92	734	0	870	0	3631	0	18383	0	3	1	1

Area 7

		Sockeye Salmon		Coho Salmon		Pink Salmon		Chum Salmon		Chinook Salmon		Steelhead
Date	Effort	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Kept	Rel	Rel
29-Aug	31	0	2	268	0	93	0	12853	0	0	0	0
	31	0	2	268	0	93	0	12853	0	0	0	0

Chum stocks to Area 7 are returning better than forecast. The fishery in the Finlayson Channel, Mathieson Channel, Sheep Passage and Mussel Inlet area is to harvest chum destine mainly to the Mussel and Kainet Rivers. The fishery in 7-12 and 8-5 is an assessment fishery for chum stocks returning to Spiller Channel, Roscoe Inlet and outer Area 8.