Crawfish & Deep Inlet Update – August 21 2019
The summer run chum at Deep Inlet came in well below forecast (30%) but close to the 25 year historical average of 320,000 chum. The fall run (Medvejie stock) appears to be doing comparatively better, although a later run timing than normal, with 203,000 chum harvested last week (Week 33). The gillnet catch has improved considerably this week and there are signs of chum throughout Eastern Channel, Silver Bay, and the Eckholm Island group. Today was the first day we’ve seen large schools along Camp Coogan to Sugarloaf making their way to Medvejie Hatchery. Based on the Deep Inlet fall...
Read MoreJuly 24 2019 Update Chum Projects
The summer run chum programs are beginning to wind down, with terminal areas showing predominantly females now. Hidden Falls – We are in broodstock collection mode now at Hidden Falls with an eye for an opening once we have secured the majority of the 200,000 chum we need for broodstock. Aerial reports and hatchery operations suggest there are sufficient chum in the SHA for brood but not enough we can risk an opening at this time. Hidden Falls hatchery has collected 30 million of the 190 million eggs needed but chum are not committing to Kasnyku Bay. Rather they are moving in and out...
Read MoreFishery Update July 9, 2019
Medvejie Chinook – the initial tags show that Medvejie chinook were well represented in the summer troll fishery. We have seen good catches in the Deep Inlet seine/gillnet fisheries (2,800) and decent numbers back to the hatchery (6,000). NSRAA Chum/SE Chum – What we know – the run is late; late & small or late & moderate? It will take another week to know the answer. The chum harvested at SE Cove and Deep Inlet are bright, 85% good meat color, robust, 65 to 70% male, and >8 pound average. These parameters all suggest early in the run curve. The chum returns in...
Read MoreFishery Update June 28, 2019
Hidden Falls will not open Sunday June 30. Chum runs throughout SE Alaska are late or weak, or both and Hidden Falls is no exception. We have had 4 openings, two each week and the catch has been poor, about 10,500 total chum. The sex ratio is 69% male, 9.5 lb average weight, and 82% four year olds, all of which suggest we are early in the run but it doesn’t provide a guide to the magnitude of the run. Given the chum program needs 200,000 brood fish to perpetuate the on-site and off-site chum programs, the only prudent action is to cease fishing until we have high certainty of attaining...
Read MoreChum Return Update June 25, 2019
The summer run chum are off to a slow start from Ketchikan to Juneau to Sitka, although the Lynn Canal gillnet catch picked up on Monday after a slow start on Sunday. Seine and gillnet catches elsewhere were poor to non-existent on Sunday. DIPAC often has the earliest chums of the year in southeast so perhaps this is the beginning. The runs at Southeast Cove and Hidden Falls will be evaluated for sex ratio and age on Friday, but in all likelihood both sites will be open on Sunday June 30. If the Hidden Falls run does not develop by next Sunday, it will need to be closed to protect...
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