The Alaska Department of Fish and Game interdivisional escapement goal review committee reviewed Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. escapement goals for the major river systems in Bristol Bay. There were 15 escapement goals examined in the Bristol Bay management area for this review. The committee evaluated spawner-return data for most Bristol Bay sockeye salmon O. nerka and Chinook salmon O. tshawytscha stocks with escapement goals.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game interdivisional escapement goal review committee reviewed Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. escapement goals for the major river systems in Bristol Bay. There were 13 escapement goals reviewed in the Bristol Bay management area for this review. The committee evaluated spawner-return data for all Bristol Bay sockeye salmon O. nerka and Chinook salmon O. tshawytscha stocks with escapement goals. For this escapement goal review, the committee recommends that all sockeye salmon escapement goals in the Bristol Bay management area remain the same. After the development of a run reconstruction model recommended at the last cycle, the committee also recommends no change to the Nushagak River Chinook salmon escapement goal for this cycle and that a run reconstruction-based escapement goal be considered during the next Board of Fisheries cycle.
This report contains recommendations after the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Escapement Goal Review Committee reviewed Pacific salmon, Oncorhynchus spp., escapement goals for the major river systems in Bristol Bay. Spawner-return data were evaluated for: sockeye salmon, O. nerka, in the Ugashik, Egegik, Kvichak, Naknek, Alagnak, Wood, Nushagak, Igushik, Togiak, and Kulukak Rivers; chinook salmon, O. tshawytscha, in the Nushagak, Togiak, Alagnak, Naknek, and Egegik Rivers; chum salmon, O. keta, in the Nushagak River; coho salmon, O. kisutch, in the Togiak, Nushagak, and Kulukak Rivers; and pink salmon, O. gorbuscha, in the Nushagak River.
This report summarizes statewide Pacific salmon escapement goals in effect in 2020 and documents escapements for all species and stocks with goals from 2012 through 2020. In addition, this report documents changes in escapement goals for both 2019 and 2020 because the report was not published in 2020 due to extenuating circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Annual escapements are compared against escapement goals in place at the time to assess outcomes, with summaries by the Division of Commercial Fisheries regions. We list methods used to enumerate escapements and to develop current escapement goals (with brief descriptions) for each monitored stock. Leading up to the 2018/2019 Board of Fisheries meeting cycle, escapement goals were reviewed for the Bristol Bay, Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim, Alaska Peninsula/Aleutian Islands, and Chignik Management Areas. As a result of these reviews, there were 29 escapement goal changes in 2019, including the elimination of 10 goals. The remaining changes were due to updates to escapement indices and/or goal development methods. There were no changes to any escapement goals in the Chignik Management Area. For the 2019/2020 Board of Fisheries meeting cycle, escapement goals were reviewed for Upper Cook Inlet, Lower Cook Inlet, and Kodiak Management Areas. As a result of these reviews, there were 32 escapement goal changes in Upper Cook Inlet that included establishing 4 new escapement goals and eliminating 12 goals. There were no escapement goal changes for Lower Cook Inlet. Because of these revisions, there were 272 salmon escapement goals in Alaska in 2019 and 264 escapement goals in 2020. In 2019, 78% of the escapement goals in Alaska were met or exceeded and 22% of the stocks did not meet minimum escapement goals. In 2020, 65% of the escapement goals were met or exceeded and 35% of the stocks did not meet minimum escapement goals.
This report summarizes statewide Pacific salmon escapement goals in effect in 2016 and documents escapements for all species and stocks with goals from 2008 through 2016. Annual escapements are compared against escapement goals in place at the time to assess outcomes, with summaries by the Division of Commercial Fisheries regions. We list methods used to enumerate escapements and to develop current escapement goals (with brief descriptions) for each monitored stock. Escapement goals were reviewed for Bristol Bay, Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim, Alaska Peninsula/Aleutian Islands, and Chignik management areas leading up to the 2015/2016 Board of Fisheries meeting cycle. As a result of these reviews, there were 25 escapement goal changes in 2016, including the elimination of 12 goals and the establishment of 3 new goals. In 2016, 72% of the escapement goals were met or exceeded; whereas 28% of the stocks did not meet minimum escapement goals.
This report summarizes statewide Pacific salmon escapement goals in effect in 2018 and documents escapements for all species and stocks with goals from 2010 through 2018. Annual escapements are compared against escapement goals in place at the time to assess outcomes, with summaries by the Division of Commercial Fisheries regions. We list methods used to enumerate escapements and to develop current escapement goals (with brief descriptions) for each monitored stock. Escapement goals were reviewed for the Southeast Region and Prince William Sound Management Area leading up to the 2017–2018 Board of Fisheries meeting cycle. As a result of these reviews, there were 34 escapement goal changes in 2018, including the elimination of 5 goals and the establishment of 1 new goal to replace another goal. The remaining changes were a result of updates to escapement indices and/or goal development methods. In 2018, 67% of the escapement goals were met or exceeded and 33% of the stocks did not meet minimum escapement goals.
In January 2018, an interdivisional team, including staff from the Division of Commercial Fisheries and the Division of Sport Fish, was formed to review Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus sp. escapement goals in the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands Management areas (Area M). This review was based on the Policy for the Management of Sustainable Salmon Fisheries (5 AAC 39.222) and the Policy for Statewide Salmon Escapement Goals (5 AAC 39.223). Of the 23 existing Area M salmon escapement goals evaluated, the team recommended revising 6 goals, discontinuing 1 goal, and leaving the remaining 16 goals unchanged. After a comprehensive review of the available data, the team recommended that no changes in the current sustainable escapement goals (SEGs) were warranted for 10 sockeye salmon O. nerka systems that include runs to Orzinski, Bear (early and late run), and Thin Point lakes; Mortensens, and Christianson lagoons; and the Cinder, Meshik, Sandy, and Ilnik rivers. No change was recommended for the sockeye salmon biological escapement goal (BEG) at Nelson River. In addition, the team recommended no changes to two of the current aggregate district SEGs for chum salmon O. keta in the North Peninsula, and two coho salmon O. kisutch goals at Nelson and Ilnik rivers. The team did recommend revision of six goals (Nelson River Chinook salmon O. tshawytscha BEG 2,400 to 5,000; McLees Lake sockeye salmon Lower Bound-SEG greater than 10,000; North Creek sockeye salmon SEG 7,500 to 10,000; Southeastern District aggregate chum salmon SEG 62,500 to 151,800; South Central District aggregate chum salmon SEG 68,900 to 99,200; Southwestern District aggregate chum salmon SEG 86,900 to 159,900). The chum salmon aggregate goal reviews incorporated a reduction to the number of index streams, which accounts for the apparent large changes in these goals. The Swanson Lagoon sockeye salmon escapement goal is recommended to be discontinued.
