Summer chum returns to Hidden Falls and Deep Inlet continue to be strong and continue to track at or above the high range of our forecast for both sites. Harvest this past week (stat wk 26) for Hidden Falls was 220k fish with Deep Inlet coming in at an estimated 285k. Hidden Falls chum returns this past week have been 70% male and a 6.5lb avg with 60% 4-year-olds and 30% 5-year-olds. Deep Inlet chum returns this past week have been coming in 60% male and also a 6.5lb avg with more than 90% 4-year-olds. Common property opening lines will continue to be the same for both sites for Sunday. Hidden Falls lines may be moved away from Kasnyku for the Thursday opener depending on volume remaining in Kasnyku after Sunday. Will begin to accumulate brood stock behind the barrier net next week at Hidden Falls with a total brood stock need of 215k fish.
SE Cove and Thomas Bay returns continue to increase but still on the slow side compared to Hidden Falls and Deep Inlet. SE Cove has an estimated common property harvest of 20k chum to date. Typically SE Cove chum returns will begin to ramp up toward the end of the coming week. Thomas Bay harvest has been minimal with little effort. As with SE Cove the Thomas Bay site returns should begin to build towards the end of next week.
NSRAA obtained a chum sample from the Wednesday June 25th Point Gardner test fishery. The chum harvest in this test fishery was a record for the stat week and was comprised of 71% Hidden Falls, 8% DIPAC, 8% SE Cove, 4% Thomas Bay and 2% Gunnuk Creek. The next Point Garnder test fishery will occur on Monday July 1st with the first Kingsmill test fishery on Tuesday July 2nd. The first Hawk Inlet test fishery occurred on June 28th and the chum portion of the harvest was 225% of the 10-year average. A breakdown of the composition of the chum catch in the Hawk Inlet test fishery should be available Monday.
Cost recovery continues at all sites and will continue without common property closures through next week as the returns continue to build and cost recovery volume is trending the right direction. Cost recovery for the Sitka area will begin in the outer Eastern Channel/Silver Bay Special Harvest Area this week beginning on Monday July 1st.
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