Summer chum returns through Stat week 28 continue to be slow and are trending at or below the low range of the forecast at all of our sites. Historically this week (wk 29), would be the peak of the catch. Sex ratio data on the summer chum indicates we are following that historical timeline and the returns will be weak and less than forecast. We continue to see virtually no 5-year olds at any of our sites and the chum return is over 95% 4-year olds. Additionally the 4-year olds are small with a 6lb or less average.
While the test fisheries at Pt Gardner and Kingsmill are indicating a stronger chum catch than the recent 10-year long term average, we are not seeing this translate to increased catches at SE Cove or Thomas Bay yet. The first Pt Gardner test fishery was over 90% hatchery chum with greater than 55% being Hidden Falls bound, and ~10% for both Gunnuk Creek and Thomas Bay, with SE Cove making up about 5% of the catch. We are currently reading last weeks test fisheries chum otoliths and will post that information once it is available. Last week we did have a increase in the cost recovery catch at Gunnuk Creek (35k lbs) which is encouraging but still weaker than expected based on forecast. We have suspended cost recovery at Gunnuk this week to allow sufficient numbers for chum brood stock to build. We will still perform the Hidden Falls test fishing this Wednesday as we continue to monitor and gauge the strength of the return for brood stock to that facility.
On the Sitka side of Baranof, Deep Inlet chum are tracking near the low point of our return forecast with the sex ratio flipping to more females at the end of last week. We are seeing more summer chum at Medvejie and it looks like we will begin egg takes toward the end of this week. Current estimates are for ~7k chum in the area with a brood stock goal of 30k. This will be the second year of Hidden Falls summer chum egg takes at Medvejie. These eggs will be taken at Medvejie then transferred to Hidden Falls for release at SE Cove or Thomas Bay. Chinook returns to Medvejie continue to be strong and will certainly be above forecast. We are continuing with cost recovery as brood stock has been secured and fish continue to return to the cove. To date we have harvested over 1,000 Chinook for cost recovery from Bear Cove and they are still being picked up in Deep Inlet with over a 1,000 harvested there in week 28 between the two net fleets.
Fall chum have yet to show up at Deep Inlet and it is too early to gauge any information on how that return, or the Crawfish Inlet fall chum return, is going to shape up.
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