Fall chum returns to Deep Inlet this week have been exceptionally strong and current harvest estimates for Stat WK 33 has total chum harvest of just over 1 million fish. This is a record weekly harvest of chum for Deep Inlet with the vast majority of harvest occurring with the seine fisheries in Deep Inlet and Sitka Sound of approximately 890k fish for the week. Troll effort has lessened in the past week for Sitka Sound but good numbers of chum are still being caught by those trollers still participating in the Sitka Sound chum fishery. Troll chum harvest this past week in Sitka Sound was over 100k and trollers have now harvested over 600k chum. With total chum return to Deep Inlet now sitting at approximately 3 million fish there is strong indication this will be a record total return to Deep Inlet. Previous record return year was 1999 when 3.6 million chum returned.
Despite record chum harvest occurring in the Deep Inlet THA and outer Sitka Sound area there has been minimal recruitment to the head of Deep Inlet for cost recovery and Bear Cove for brood stock. Our current estimate of brood at Bear Cove is 30k of the 100k total brood stock goal. This has been driven by greater than 90% interception by the combined gear harvest in the Deep Inlet THA and outer Sitka Sound area. Additionally, the lack of precipitation to move fish towards their release sites has hindered fish movement.
The Deep Inlet THA will be closed Thursday and Friday for cost recovery harvest and we will also begin harvest to acquire brood stock for Bear Cove Friday and Saturday. Harvest is expected to occur in the Silver Bay/Eastern channel SHA beginning as early as Thursday. Harvest will be targeted to minimize impacts to trollers in the area open to both cost recovery and troll in the Eastern Channel/Silver Bay SHA.
Deep Inlet openings next week are dependent on success of cost recovery and brood stock progress the next two days. Unfortunately, a decision to leave Deep Inlet open will have to be made after initial cost recovery/ brood harvest estimates are available mid-morning Friday. A decision will be made by noon Friday at the latest and will be posted here to our website.
Total chum return to date for all NSRAA projects is now approaching 6 million fish.
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