North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission

Technical Report 15

Table of Contents

Linking Freshwater Environmental Factors to Up-river Migration Timing of Fraser River Chinook Salmon

Authors:
Kaitlyn Dionne, Chuck Parken, and Brittany Jenewein

Abstract Excerpt:
Stocks of Fraser River Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) are separated into five management units (MUs) based on their run timing through the lower Fraser River and overarching life history. The Albion test fishery, located approximately 50 km upstream of the mouth of the Fraser, estimates run-timing through the collection of biological samples that allow for genetic stock identification (GSI) in addition to providing a continuous index of Chinook salmon abundance back to 1980 (Dempson et al. 1998). Fraser River Chinook demonstrate great diversity in their adult migration timing from the ocean and into freshwater, with some populations returning as early as April and others as late as September, despite similar timing for the onset of spawning (Parken et al. 2008). Run-timing is a useful tool for managing fisheries on population aggregates such as those found in the Fraser, but it is important to recognize that this trait is largely heritable and has been theorized to be an adaptation to environmental conditions up river (Healey 1991; Quinn et al. 2002; Keefer et al. 2004). Previous research successfully linked GSI with coded-wire tags in the Albion test fishery providing an opportunity to improve management at the population level for Fraser Chinook (Parken et al. 2008). However, this work also allows the opportunity to link run-timing to the lower Fraser River with environmental conditions upstream on the spawning grounds.

*This is the first paragraph of an extended abstract. Download the full abstract below.

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23849/npafctr15/16.18.

Citation

Dionne, K., C. Parken, and B. Jenewein.  2019.  Linking freshwater environmental factors to up-river migration timing of Fraser River Chinook salmon.  N. Pac. Anadr. Fish Comm. Tech. Rep. 15: 16–18.  https://doi.org/10.23849/npafctr15/16.18.