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Deep Inlet Notice
To Deep Inlet THA Fishery User Groups:
A reminder about boat traffic and anchoring near island homes in the Deep Inlet area.
Please review our plan:
Berry Island Resident Impact and Noise Reduction Plan
Hidden Falls Down, Deep Inlet Up
Hidden Falls chum continue to show nearly 90% five year olds in a weaker than expected return, at least so far . That translates to less than 20,000 four year old chum caught. Without a better showing of fours in the next opening, meeting the broodstock goal of 170,000 may be difficult. Therefore, the Sunday July 6 opening hangs in the balance. DIPAC is seeing similar high numbers with some 80% of the return five year olds. However, the DIPAC chum return is 3 to 4 times as large, and therefore broodstock is less of a concern.
Deep Inlet by contrast is performing much better. The total return to date is 140,000 with 5 more fishing days to go this week, which is already double the twenty year average. Deep Inlet continues to have higher than normal fives 70% to 80% but there are reasonable numbers of fours and like DIPAC a larger return overall.
Hidden Falls & Deep Inlet Chum Return Out of the Blocks
It is too early to predict what will happen with the chum return at either Hidden Falls or Deep Inlet. There have been years at Hidden Falls when there were only 8,000 fish caught by the week ending June 28 which ended up with total returns for those years at 2.7 m (’99) and 3.1 million (’00) chum salmon. There have also been years when catches have been in excess of 350,000 by June 28 and the run ended up at 1.3 million (2013). Total catch to date at Hidden Falls is 43,000 chum with one opening to go for the week. Therefore, it is likely the week will end behind the twenty year average of 150,000.
Deep Inlet is starting off strong with the total chum harvest at 65,000 with several gillnet and seine openings to go before the week closes out. This compares to the twenty year average of 27,000 through statistical week 26. Both the historical average and this year’s catch to date are far behind the 2013 cumulative catch of 192,000 (the largest cumulative catch by week 26 on record, although not the highest total return by a long measure). Chum size is large at both Hidden Falls and Deep Inlet, about 10 lbs and 9 lbs respectively. Scales have not been read yet but these early fish most likely have a high proportion of 5 year olds.
Given the poor performance of two of the three chum runs in PWS and slow start at Kendrick, I am nervous about what the next week will bring. The anxiety is right at historic average, which is a poor indicator of anything.
Hidden Falls Chum Schedule Update
Hidden Falls opens for the season on Sunday, June 15, 2014, NOT June 22 as previously reported on our website. Seiners please take note of this and pass the word. The 2014 assessment rate has been set at 20%. This is a preliminary figure and should be finalized by late May. More details can be found here: Hidden Falls 2014 Schedule & Tax Assessment Area Map.
Deep Inlet Schedule Set for 2014
The Deep Inlet 2014 schedule was finalized at the spring Board of Directors Meeting. Fishing begins on June 1. Once again this year we will be conducting no cost recovery harvest in the THA – thanks to DIPAC’s financial contribution. Schedules are below, and can also be found on our Home page and FrontPage.
2014 Deep Inlet schedule – Calendar and additional information
2014 Deep Inlet schedule – Single page calendar only – for printing
2014 ADF&G News Release – Deep Inlet – Official Schedule
Petersburg Meeting – NSRAA Board of Directors
NSRAA’s Spring 2014 Board of Directors Meeting will be held in Petersburg this year!
The meeting will be held March 4-5, 2014 in the Lutheran Church, beginning at 9 a.m. each day.
Topics will include planning for the 2014 fishing season, FY15 budget, chum expansion plans, Board of Fish Proposals, project reviews and more. See the agenda for more details.
Proceedings are open to the public. Please come join us and meet NSRAA’s board members and staff.
Poster: click to enlarge:
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