Author: Julie BednarskiPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Escapement (Fisheries)
Languages : en
Pages : 18
Book Description
The 2021 forecast of Stikine River sockeye salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka, run abundance is poor and we anticipate very little harvesting opportunity for either U.S. or Canadian fisheries. Since 1994, we have almost exclusively relied on the Canadian lower river commercial fishery to provide the migratory timing information that is used to complete the mixed stock run reconstruction for Stikine River sockeye salmon. It is highly likely there will be no fishing opportunity in 2021 to gather this pertinent information. To obtain stock composition data necessary to estimate the inriver abundance, we are initiating a sockeye salmon stock assessment program at Kakwan Point. The project will be conducted in conjunction with the existing Stikine River Chinook salmon, O. tshwaytscha, assessment program, and will extend the project through the end of the sockeye salmon run in late August. Tissue samples will be collected from sockeye salmon for genetic mixed stock analysis and for use in a genetic mark–recapture study to estimate inriver abundance based on an expansion of the Tahltan stock that is monitored via weir. We will also gather daily catch per unit effort (CPUE) information and estimate the age, sex and length (ASL) composition for sockeye salmon captured. This stock assessment program is designed to capture sockeye salmon in proportion to abundance during immigration; therefore, it is expected that it will provide an unbiased estimate of abundance. This estimate will be assessed by TTC postseason for use in the Stikine River sockeye salmon run reconstruction.
