Fisheries, Subsistence, and Habitat
Publications Searchable Database
Search Again| Division: | Sport Fish |
| Title: | Operational Plan: Susitna River Chinook salmon inriver abundance, 2021. |
| Author: | Campbell, J., N. A. DeCovich, A. Reimer, and A. W. Barclay. |
| Year: | 2022 |
| Report ID: | Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Sport Fish, Regional Operational Plan No. ROP.SF.2A.2022.16, Anchorage. |
| Abstract: | The goal of this study is to estimate the abundance of Chinook salmon at river mile (RM) 34 of the mainstem Susitna River and spawning distribution among 5 management areas in 2021. A 2-event, mark–recapture experiment in combination with radiotelemetry will be used. Fish wheels and gillnets will be operated at river mile (RM) 34 to capture Chinook salmon for marking with passive integrated transponder (PIT) and radiotelemetry tags. Recapture event sampling will occur at the Deshka River weir at RM 7 where a PIT detection array will be used. Eight radiotracking stations will be strategically placed throughout the drainage to determine when radiotagged fish move in and out of the 5 management zones, allowing a determination of spawning distribution. A concurrent genetics mark–recapture study will be performed using genetics samples taken from a systematic sample of all PIT–tagged fish. The applied radio tags will also be used to estimate handling effects. In the event of a sport fishery, the proportions of non-Deshka River Chinook salmon in the sport harvest taken in 2 sections of the Deshka River will also be estimated through sampling of axillary processes from harvested fish and genetic stock identification. |
| Keywords: | Chinook salmon, abundance, mark–recapture, Susitna River, PIT tag, dart tag, gillnet, fish wheel, sport harvest, genetic stock identification |