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.
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| 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 |
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| 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.
KWINAGEESE WEIR UPDATE
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 |
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 13th, 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.
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| 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 |
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| 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% |
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| Overage/underage | -17,440 | 17,440 |
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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.
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|
| 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 |
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| 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
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| 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 |
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| 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.