Migratory Timing and Abundance Estimates of Sockeye Salmon Into Upper Cook Inlet, Alaska, 2015
Author: Aaron Dupuis
Publisher:
Published: 2016
Total Pages: 67
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOKIn 2015, the southern offshore test fishery (OTF) was conducted from July 1 through July 30 and captured 2,378 sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka representing 1,609 catch per unit of effort (CPUE) index points. The midpoint of the 2015 sockeye salmon run at the southern OTF occurred on 25 July. A formal inseason estimate of the 2015 run size was made on July 27; this analysis predicted a total run to Upper Cook Inlet (UCI) of 5.9 million sockeye salmon. The best-fit total run estimate deviated from the estimated total run of 6.30 million fish by 6.5%. An inseason estimate was also made for the Kenai River sockeye salmon run on July 27; the July 27 analysis predicted a total run to the Kenai River ranging between 2.20 and 3.53 million fish. The best-fit Kenai River total run estimate from this analysis (3.53 million fish) differed from the estimated total run of 3.89 million fish by 9.3%. A mixed stock analysis using genetic data (MSA) was performed on samples collected during the test fishery, which showed similar stock compositions to previous years. The MSA sampling for the OTF project was included all coho salmon O. kisutch captured to estimate spatial and temporal stock compositions of the harvest.