Stock assessment of the return of late-run chinook salmon to the Kenai River, 1993

Description

The estimated total return of late-run chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha to the Kenai River in 1993 was 64,583. This estimate does not include fish harvested in the recreational marine fishery near Deep Creek, which will be available later in 1994 from the Statewide Harvest Survey. The total harvest in marine gill net fisheries, commercial drift and set net fisheries, and the Kenaitze Indian educational set gill net fishery was 14,909. The total inriver return of late-run chinook salmon estimated through hydroacoustic techniques was 49,674. The estimated angler-effort and harvest measured from a creel survey during the late chinook salmon run were 293,908 angler-hours and 15,279 chinook salmon, respectively. Release mortality was estimated at 363 fish. Spawning escapement was 34,032 and met spawning requirements stipulated in the management plan. The predominant age class of the commercial harvest, inriver return, and recreational harvest was age-1.4 fish. Migratory timing models were used to project spawning escapement during the 1993 fishery. No additional restrictions to the fishery were required to achieve escapement goals. A relatively strong return allowed for an additional 4 days of recreational fishing in August. A sibling model was used to forecast the 1994 return of chinook salmon to the Kenai River at 66,876 (SE = 19,021) fish. Production from the 1984 brood did little better than replacement. However, production from the 1985 brood was 1.86 returning fish-per-spawner. Production from the 1986 brood will approximate replacement. Production from the 1987 brood has been 1.63 returning fish-per-spawner with age 7 and 8 to return in 1994 and 1995, respectively.

Subjects

Genres

• Statistics

Series Statement

• Fishery data series -- no. 94-8.

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