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Division: Commercial Fish
Title: A review of escapement goals for salmon stocks in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska, 2016.
Author: Otis, E. O., J. W. Erickson, C. Kerkvliet, and T. McKinley.
Year: 2016
Report ID: Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fishery Manuscript Series No. 16-08, Anchorage.
Abstract: The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) interdivisional escapement goal review committee (committee) reviewed Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. escapement goals for major river systems in Lower Cook Inlet (LCI). There were 41 escapement goals evaluated in LCI during this review. Except for 2 Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha stocks (Anchor and Ninilchik rivers) and 4 sockeye salmon O. nerka, stocks (English Bay, Bear, Mikfik, and Chenik lakes), salmon escapements in LCI are primarily monitored by single or multiple aerial and/or foot surveys of appropriate stream reaches. The resulting escapement indices do not provide absolute abundance estimates suitable for estimating biological escapement goals (BEG). Consequently, ADF&G developed sustainable escapement goals (SEG) for 3 Chinook, 12 chum O. keta, 18 pink O. gorbuscha, and 8 sockeye salmon stocks monitored in LCI. There are no escapement goals for coho salmon O. kisutch in LCI. Escapement performance for Chinook, chum, pink, and sockeye salmon relative to the existing goals has been good during the past 4 years, with a harvestable surplus available in 33?100% of streams during most years. Because most of the current goals were implemented 15 years ago and new methods were recently developed for establishing SEGs, the committee recommended changing 37 of 41 escapement goals for salmon stocks in LCI to incorporate the additional escapement data and new methods.
Keywords: Lower Cook Inlet, sustainable escapement goals, Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, chum salmon, O. keta, pink salmon, O. gorbuscha, sockeye salmon, O. nerka, coho salmon, O. kisutch, escapement, Southern District, Outer District, Eastern District, Kamishak District, Alaska Board of Fisheries, BOF.