Somass chinook bulletin # 1

[IronNoggin]

SOMASS CHINOOK BULLETIN # 1 – 2013 Date: August 30, 2013
Somass Chinook Stock Assessment Update

Pre-season forecast: 16,000 Chinook

Escapement
Stamp Falls - August 27 - 1036 Chinook and 5169 Coho
Sproat- August 27 - 6 Chinook and 765 Coho

Biological information:
Biological samples will be collected from the fish ladders and hatchery racks.
Expected Somass Age Composition: 43%, 22%, and 34% for age 3, 4, 5 /adults, respectively.

NEXT WEEK'S FISHING PLANS:

First Nations
Tsu-ma-uss (Hupacasath, Tseshaht)- Food social and ceremonial fishing rod and reel south of Lone tree point.
Gill-nets – No fishery planned

Commercial
No fisheries planned.

Recreational
The Chinook conservation measures remain unchanged in Area 23 and 123, Barkley Sound /Alberni Inlet. Non-retention of Chinook in Alberni Inlet and 2 under 77 cms in outer Barkley sound to a mile outside the surfline.

For more information please contact the DFO office in Port Alberni at 250 720-4440

GRIM!!! :cry:

[Jager]

Grim is right.

I fished the derby this weekend. I witnessed 1 chinook caught and released and only a few coho caught around us. We fished from Lone tree to Macktush and with the number of boats fishing you hardly could tell there was a derby going on. We ended up with 2 coho which is better than a lot of people I talked to on the wharf. Apparently thing were slightly better around Pill and Chup.

[IronNoggin]

Somass River Escapement Bulletin
Observations to September 8, 2013

OBSERVATIONS:

Through September 8, a total of 22,434 adult coho, 1140 coho jacks, 5099 adult Chinook, 195 Chinook jacks, 88,890 adult sockeye, and 93,470 sockeye jacks are estimated to have passed through the Stamp falls fishway. A total of 6032 adult coho, 6 adult Chinook, 121,363 adult sockeye, and 331,895 sockeye jacks are estimated to have passed through the Sproat falls fishway.

Since September 2, daily escapement counts through the Stamp Falls fishway ranged between 255 and 510 adult Chinook, and 1023 and 2058 adult coho. Adult sockeye daily escapement since September 2 ranged between 0 and 3 at the Stamp falls fishway and between 21 and 249 at the Sproat fishway.

River temperatures over the past week have ranged between 18.9 and 21.0oC at the Stamp Falls fishway (Figure 4). The discharge rate is moderate.
Note: Salmon escapement estimates in this bulletin are preliminary, based on an initial digital video review.

2013 PRE-SEASON EXPECTATIONS:

Sockeye: The 2013 management forecast for Somass sockeye was 350,000, which corresponds to the low level management zone defined through Area 23 Wild Salmon Policy implementation (range 350,000 to 500,000). Expected stock composition is about 45% Great Central and 55% Sproat sockeye. Expected age composition is about 75%, 10%, 10%, and 5% for age 42, 52, 53, and 63 adults, respectively. Based on current catch, escapement, and abundance estimates in the Alberni Inlet and Somass River, the forecast was downgraded on July 11 to 300,000 adult sockeye. The escapement target for this run size is 231,250.

Chinook: Approximately 16,000 Somass Chinook are forecast to return to Barkley Sound and Alberni Inlet in 2013. The predicted adult age composition is 43%, 22% and 34% of 3, 4 and 5-year olds, respectively. At a forecast terminal return of less than 20,000 adults, no directed Chinook fisheries are anticipated in the terminal Alberni Inlet area.

Chum: Approximately 563,000 chum are forecast to return to South West Vancouver Island in 2013 (54,000 to Area 23). This forecast is well below the long term average for the CU but higher than the recent 5-year average. Only limited directed fisheries are anticipated.

Coho: For 2013, the total expected return to the Somass system is about 20,000 to 40,000 coho. The forecast survival rate for the 2010 brood year (2012 sea entry) year is above the long-term average for West coast Vancouver Island coho.

[IronNoggin]

SOMASS CHINOOK BULLETIN # 3 – 2013 Date: September 12, 2013
Somass Chinook Stock Assessment Update

Pre-season forecast: 16,000 Chinook

Escapement

Stamp Falls – Sept 8 – 5,099 chinook and 22,434 coho
Sproat- September 8 - 6 chinook and 6032 coho

Biological Information:

Biological samples will be collected from the hatchery.
Expected Somass Age Composition: 43%, 22%, and 34% for age 3, 4, 5 /adults, respectively.
In season indicators are positive but runsize remains unchanged.
Somass coho gillnet fishery – 8 coho

NEXT WEEK'S FISHING PLANS:

First Nations

Tsu-ma-uss (Hupacasath, Tseshaht)
Hook and Line - Alberni Inlet food social and ceremonial fishing (with rod and reel) from Lone Tree point to Hocking Point.

Gill-nets – Alberni Inlet Test Fishing- Food social and ceremonial coho fishery opens Sunday Sept 15th 6 pm to Monday Sept 16th 6 am. Fishing area from Lone Tree Point to Hocking Point. 12 gillnets in total (6 per nation), designated band members only. The maximum mesh size is six inches and nets must be tended at all times. Coho is the target fishery with non retention of chinook.

Commercial

No fisheries planned.

Recreational

The chinook conservation measures remain unchanged in Area 23 and 123, Barkley Sound /Alberni Inlet. Non-retention of chinook in Alberni Inlet and 2 per day under 77 cms in outer Barkley sound to 1 mile outside the surf line.

For more information please contact the DFO office in Port Alberni at 250 720-4440

[40incher]

Sounds much like the Skeena. Chinook are being hit way too hard in the marine fisheries in Alaska and in BC. You can't fish a long-lived species like Chinook at the level it is happening at now. There are few fish making it to the older age class, and which are primarily females. Time to ramp down the lodges before we lose our winter fishery, much like we have for halibut ... Let's go to 1 and 2 from July 1st until August 31st and nip it in the bud ... Otherwise we will be losing our local resident fishery. JMHO.

[IronNoggin]

... Time to ramp down the lodges before we lose our winter fishery, much like we have for halibut ...

Hilarious! Predictable but Hilarious all the same! :lol:

In the case of Port Alberni, it certainly is NOT "the lodges" nor even the regular Joe Public Angler that has played any significant part in the declining numbers of springs. The blame lies solely at the feet of "management". About a decade ago, they came up with the notion that: "There is no significant contribution to recruitment from wild spawn in the SSS system." And they then carried on, managing to the number required by the hatchery ONLY in their "escapement" planning. Combining that with seiners, gillnetters and FN harvesting has (once again) proven to be an unmitigated Disaster. A Disaster now sadly being paid for directly the resource...

Although not overly familiar with the Skeena situation, I would suggest that a detailed analysis would provide much of the same in terms of an answer as to "why".

You did however touch briefly on one of the greatest threats to the overall BC chinook populations: Over-harvesting both as directed fisheries and by-catch in Alaskan waters represents the Largest Removal Rate of BC origin chinook there is. Combine that with The Dino's persistence in removing any and all "excess", and the recipe for stock declines is well written.

Overall, the effects of sportfishing is negligible by comparison. Yes, there is some effect, about as much as two or three grains of salt in the shaker.

Unless "management" takes some Serious steps towards positive change in their long term planning for this (and many other species) we are unfortunately witnessing the sun set on these once magnificent runs.

Cheers,
Nog

[weatherby_man]

Hilarious! Predictable but Hilarious all the same! :lol:

In the case of Port Alberni, it certainly is NOT "the lodges" nor even the regular Joe Public Angler that has played any significant part in the declining numbers of springs. The blame lies solely at the feet of "management". About a decade ago, they came up with the notion that: "There is no significant contribution to recruitment from wild spawn in the SSS system." And they then carried on, managing to the number required by the hatchery ONLY in their "escapement" planning. Combining that with seiners, gillnetters and FN harvesting has (once again) proven to be an unmitigated Disaster. A Disaster now sadly being paid for directly the resource...

Although not overly familiar with the Skeena situation, I would suggest that a detailed analysis would provide much of the same in terms of an answer as to "why".

You did however touch briefly on one of the greatest threats to the overall BC chinook populations: Over-harvesting both as directed fisheries and by-catch in Alaskan waters represents the Largest Removal Rate of BC origin chinook there is. Combine that with The Dino's persistence in removing any and all "excess", and the recipe for stock declines is well written.

Overall, the effects of sportfishing is negligible by comparison. Yes, there is some effect, about as much as two or three grains of salt in the shaker.

Unless "management" takes some Serious steps towards positive change in their long term planning for this (and many other species) we are unfortunately witnessing the sun set on these once magnificent runs.

Cheers,
Nog

Unfortunately with DFO involved the only appropriate use of the word 'management' has a 'mis' in front of it.

[IronNoggin]

Unfortunately with DFO involved the only appropriate use of the word 'management' has a 'mis' in front of it.

THAT would read: "Political Mismanagement At It's Finest!" :evil:

[weatherby_man]

THAT would read: "Political Mismanagement At It's Finest!" :evil:

YA, that about sums it up.... Sad....

[IronNoggin]

Related CHEK Video: http://www.cheknews.ca/?bckey=AQ~~,AAAA4mHNTzE~,ejlzBnGUUKY1gXVPwEwEepl35 Y795rND&bclid=975107450001&bctid=2679412114001

[adriaticum]

Good to see all the parties working together.

[IronNoggin]

Good to see all the parties working together.

Yes it is. Just a cryin' Shame we can't seem to get "management" on the same page... :cry:

Nog

[adriaticum]

Yes it is. Just a cryin' Shame we can't seem to get "management" on the same page... :cry:

Nog

What ever happened to those 50K Chinook smolts they had in the spring? Did they ever get released or did they destroy them?

[IronNoggin]

What ever happened to those 50K Chinook smolts they had in the spring? Did they ever get released or did they destroy them?

Public Pressure eventually overcame Departmental Resistance and they were released.

Cheers,
Nog

[IronNoggin]

Somass River Escapement Bulletin
Observations to September 16, 2013

OBSERVATIONS:

Through September 16, a total of 31,877 adult coho, 2114 coho jacks, 9877 adult Chinook, 346 Chinook jacks, 88,918 adult sockeye, and 93,492 sockeye jacks are estimated to have passed through the Stamp falls fishway. A total of 7769 adult coho, 6 adult Chinook, 121,458 adult sockeye, and 331,969 sockeye jacks are estimated to have passed through the Sproat falls fishway.

Since September 9, daily escapement counts through the Stamp Falls fishway ranged between 465 and 823 adult Chinook, and 792 and 2055 adult coho. Adult sockeye daily escapement since September 9 ranged between 0 and 18 at the Stamp falls fishway and between 2 and 48 at the Sproat fishway.

River temperatures have decreased in the past few days and over the past week have ranged between 18.4 and 21.7oC at the Stamp Falls fishway, and between 20.6 and 22.9oC at the Sproat fishway (Figures 4 and 5). The discharge rate is moderate.

Note: Salmon escapement estimates in this bulletin are preliminary, based on an initial digital video review.

[IronNoggin]

SOMASS CHINOOK BULLETIN # 4 – 2013 Date: September 19, 2013
Somass Chinook Stock Assessment Update

Pre-season forecast: 16,000 Chinook

Escapement

Stamp Falls – Sept 16 – 9,877 chinook and 31,877 coho
Sproat- September 16 - 6 chinook and 7,769 coho

Biological Information:

Biological samples will be collected from the hatchery.
Expected Somass Age Composition: 43%, 22%, and 34% for age 3, 4, 5 /adults, respectively.
In season indicators are positive but runsize remains unchanged.
Catch to date in the First Nations coho gillnet test fishery have been very low.

NEXT WEEK'S FISHING PLANS:

First Nations

Tsu-ma-uss (Hupacasath, Tseshaht)

Hook and Line - Alberni Inlet food social and ceremonial fishing (with rod and reel) from Lone Tree point to Hocking Point.

Gill-nets – Alberni Inlet Test Fishing- food social and ceremonial coho fishery opens Friday Sept 20th, 10 am to 4:30 pm and Monday Sept 23rd, 10 am to 430 pm. Fishing area is from the Highway 4 Bridge crossing the Somass River (Orange Bridge) downstream (southerly) to a line at Polly's Point across to Stamp Point except for; the following area which remains closed, from the entrance to Clutesi Haven Marina due east to the opposite shore downstream to the power line crossing near the Catalyst Paper Mill in the Somass River.
12 gillnets in total (6 per nation), designated band members only. The maximum mesh size is six inches and nets must be tended at all times. Coho is the target fishery with non retention of chinook.

Commercial

No fisheries planned.

Recreational

The chinook conservation measures remain unchanged in Area 23 and 123, Barkley Sound /Alberni Inlet. Non-retention of chinook in Alberni Inlet and 2 per day under 77 cms in outer Barkley sound to 1 mile outside the surf line.

For more information please contact the DFO office in Port Alberni at 250 720-4440

[adriaticum]

Dave Murphy says lots of coho on the island :)

[IronNoggin]

Somass River Escapement Bulletin
Observations to October 21, 2013

OBSERVATIONS:

Through October 21, a total of 50,725 adult coho, 3734 coho jacks, 28,437 adult Chinook, 666 Chinook jacks, 89,022 adult sockeye, and 93,604 sockeye jacks are estimated to have passed through the Stamp falls fishway.

Through October 21, a total of 14,038 adult coho, 1087 coho jacks, 111 adult Chinook, 122,198 adult sockeye, and 334,132 sockeye jacks are estimated to have passed through the Sproat falls fishway.

Since October 14, daily escapement counts through the Stamp Falls fishway ranged between 72 and 385 adult Chinook, and 20 and 132 adult coho. Adult sockeye daily escapement since October 14 ranged from 0 to 5 at the Stamp falls fishway. Sockeye continue to move through the Sproat fishway, with daily sockeye adults since October 15 ranging from 2 to 28 and daily sockeye jacks ranging from 0 to 15.

The discharge rate is moderate and over the past week has continued to decrease along with river temperatures. Over the past week river temperatures have ranged between 14.2 and 15.0oC at the Sproat fishway (Figure 4). Temperature data from the Stamp Falls fishway is currently unavailable because the HOBO environmental monitoring system is experiencing technical difficulties.

Note: Salmon escapement estimates in this bulletin are preliminary, based on an initial digital video review.

[IronNoggin]

Somass River Escapement Bulletin
Observations to October 27, 2013

OBSERVATIONS:

Through October 27, a total of 50,818 adult coho, 3780 coho jacks, 28,589 adult Chinook, 669 Chinook jacks, 89,028 adult sockeye, and 93,615 sockeye jacks are estimated to have passed through the Stamp falls fishway.

Through October 27, a total of 14,061 adult coho, 1095 coho jacks, 144 adult Chinook, 122,270 adult sockeye, and 334,168 sockeye jacks are estimated to have passed through the Sproat falls fishway.

Since October 22, daily escapement counts through the Stamp Falls fishway ranged between 13 and 38 adult Chinook, and 5 and 22 adult coho. Adult sockeye daily escapement since October 22 ranged from 0 to 3 at the Stamp falls fishway. Sockeye continue to move through the Sproat fishway, with daily sockeye adults since October 22 ranging from 9 to 13 and daily sockeye jacks ranging from 2 to 11.

The discharge rate is low and over the past week has continued to decrease along with river temperatures. Over the past week river temperatures have ranged between 13.2 and 14.4oC at the Sproat fishway and over the past two days have ranged between 10.1 and 11.9oC at the Stamp falls fishway.

Note: Salmon escapement estimates in this bulletin are preliminary, based on an initial digital video review.