Sport fishing effort, catch, and harvest, fishery contributions, and inriver abundance of Chilkat River chinook salmon, in 1995

Description

We estimated the 1995 marine sport harvest and escapement of chinook salmon returning to the Chilkat River near Haines, Alaska. A creel survey was used during the Haines marine boat fishery in the spring of 1995 to estimate angler effort for, and harvest of, wild mature chinook salmon assumed to be bound for the Chilkat River. Harvest of large (>28 inches in total length) chinook salmon and chartered angler effort and harvest were also estimated. Harvests of 1988 and 1989 brood year Chilkat River chinook salmon were estimated through random recoveries of coded wire tagged fish in sampled fisheries. A mark-recapture experiment was used to estimate the in-river abundance of spawning chinook salmon in the Chilkat River. An estimated 9,457 angler-hours (SE = 501) of effort (8,606 targeted salmon hours, SE = 483) were expended for a harvest of 228 (SE = 41) large chinook salmon, of which 193 (SE = 35) were wild, mature fish. Chartered anglers accounted for 19% and 22% of estimated targeted salmon effort and harvest of large chinook salmon, respectively. Harvests of the 1988 and 1989 brood year Chilkat River chinook salmon were estimated at 1,648 (SE = 403) and 698 (SE = 152), respectively. Reasons why these estimates are considered as minimum harvests are discussed. One hundred eighty-six (186) large (age 1.3 and older) chinook salmon were captured in the lower Chilkat River between June 13 and August 8, 1995 in drift gillnets and two fish wheels. One hundred eighty (180) of these fish were tagged with solid-core spaghetti tags (121 in drift gillnets and 59 in the fish wheels). Of a total 376 large chinook salmon examined on spawning tributaries to the Chilkat River, 17 were carrying tags. On the basis of these data, it was estimated that 3,790 (SE = 805) large chinook salmon ( n1 = 180, n2 = 376, m2 = 17) immigrated into the Chilkat River during 1995.

Subjects

Series Statement

• Fishery data series -- 96-48.
• Fishery data series -- no. 96-48.

Links

• URL