News and Events

Fishery Update July 9, 2019

Posted by Steve Reifenstuhl on Jul 9, 2019 in news | 0 comments

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 SE Alaska are all behind the historical run curve and there is some reasoning or wishful thinking that a moderate run could still materialize.

In addition to sample parameters, the roe percentage is at the low end of the scale – 3%. At the end of the run the roe percent is usually 8 or 9%. During the summer Chinook troll fishery, the Chinook were far off shore in 70 fathoms of water, an environment where there was abundant feed. Trollers caught fair numbers of chum while king fishing at the 70 fathom mark. Other indicators that some chum are still on the march – July 7th Pt. Augusta seine opening had decent numbers of chum, fishermen are reporting chum at the Fairweather grounds and Icy Strait, and best of all for the SE Cove SHA is that the Kings Mill test fishery maxed-out in 6 sets and 98% were chum salmon. The return at SE Cove is roughly 6 times the volume of 2018 at this date. This may be the brightest spot for chum in southeast Alaska.

Hidden Falls Chum – Aerial observations put the number of chum within the THA at >100,000 fish. Broodstock requirement is 200,000 chum which is used to fulfill program objectives at SE Cove, Gunnuk Creek, Thomas Bay, Deep Inlet, and Hidden Falls/Takatz. In order to get more information on sex ratio, stock performance, abundance by area, and age structure NSRAA has contracted with North Pacific Seafoods to troll harvest one or two thousand chum in the HF THA on July 11-13. Historically, broodstock fish begin pushing the barrier net and the inner bay about mid-July. With some good fortune we could have a fair portion of our broodstock secure by July 20 wdhich would allow NSRAA to open a portion of the THA.

Deep Inlet Chum – The summer run chum are performing quite poorly at Deep Inlet. There was a small bump in the catch on July 9 and a few hundred chum caught in the Redoubt seine opening on July 7th.

Fishery Update June 28, 2019

Posted by Steve Reifenstuhl on Jun 28, 2019 in news | 0 comments

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 that goal.

In 2018, I provided a 5th opening based on a stronger than expected return and relatively high male ratio, but that one opening was a mistake as it was instrumental in not having sufficient chum for broodstock. Last year was the first time the egg goal was not attained at Hidden Falls. The NSRAA board was informed that harvest management would necessarily need to be more conservative in 2019.

Deep Inlet is seeing even worse chum returns this year. Only chinook are performing well on the Sitka side of Baranof Island.

Next week is the make or break week for Hidden Falls and Deep Inlet. In ’98, ’99, & ’00 less than 10,000 chum had been harvested by the end of the current stat week. However, in week 27 the run took a dramatic turn each year and finished with 2.2M, 2.7M, and 3.1M respectively. Not expecting that to happen, but it is to say in short order things can change dramatically .

We expect to keep SE Cove open through Thursday July 4 for common property openings, at which time it will be closed for cost recovery.

Chum Return Update June 25, 2019

Posted by Steve Reifenstuhl on Jun 25, 2019 in news | 0 comments

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 broodstock. SE Cove on the other hand might remain open, and will be decided in consultation with Trident Seafoods who have the cost recovery contract for SE Cove SHA.

Some analysis and speculation: Prince William Sound is seeing good chum returns to all three of their sites. This is not usual as two of the release locations have under-performed for several years. Each of the PWS sites are ahead of their run curve, although fish are small (<6 lbs./average). Sometimes PWS is predictive of SE chum which are several weeks later in run timing, although 2019 doesn’t seem to be one of those years. So far in SE Alaska we are seeing normal size and healthy chum, just not many of them. Last week, the Homeshore troll fishery was the first indication of chum coming through the Icy Strait cooridor, although they didn’t show up in Lynn Canal until Monday.

Are the fish late, under forecast, or did they die at sea this past year? Given the new information in Lynn Canal, I’ll say late. If late, and DIPAC is any indication there should see a small uptick in harvest on Thursday at all the NSRAA sites.

Final thought: Some may have read that Dr. Dick Beamish, Department of Fisheries & Oceans Canada (DFO) organized an international effort this past winter to sample salmon in the vast areas of the North Pacific Ocean. Preliminary results were an abundance of skinny chum and sparse but robust sockeye in their sampling at multiple sample locations. Based on PWS chum return so far, it appears this Russian research cruise vessel got into the PWS chum at sea, but maybe not the SE chum. Much more information is pending as they conduct otolith and genetic analysis to determine origin of stocks.

NSRAA 2019 Spring Board Meeting

Posted by Chip Blair on Jan 14, 2019 in news, schedule | 0 comments

NSRAA’s 2019 Spring Board of Directors Meeting will be held on Monday and Tuesday, March 4-5, 2019 in Sitka in the NSRAA Board Room. Meetings begin at 9 am each day. The public is invited to attend.

Topics will include reviewing the NSRAA FY20 budget, program updates, and planning for the 2019 season and beyond. The meeting agenda will be posted in early February.

NSRAA Fall 2018 Board of Directors Meeting

Posted by Chip Blair on Nov 12, 2018 in news, schedule | 0 comments

NSRAA’s 2018 Fall Board of Directors Meeting will be held on Wednesday & Thursday, November 14-15, 2018 in Sitka in the NSRAA Board Room. Meetings begin at 9 am each day. The public is invited to attend.

Topics will include a review of the 2018 season, program updates, a discussion of the proposed NOAA Little Port Walter Public/Private Partenership, a Pacific Salmon Treaty update, and planning for the 2019 season – including Crawfish Inlet management. Click here for the meeting agenda.