North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission

Technical Report 17

Table of Contents

Moving Targets: Assessing Fraser River Pink Salmon Run Size during a Period of Change and Uncertainty

Authors: 
Merran J. Hague, Rachael L. Hornsby, Jessica A. Gill, Catherine G.J. Michielsens, Erica S. Jenkins, and Serena Wong

Abstract Excerpt:
The Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) is a regional fisheries management organization established in 1985 by Canada and the United States as the body responsible for upholding the terms of the Pacific Salmon Treaty (PSC 2019a). The mandate of the Treaty is to ensure the two Parties share responsibility for the management, research, and enhancement of salmon stocks of mutual concern to maximize optimal production and to allocate harvests relative to the production of salmon in each country. The PSC Secretariat helps administrate the implementation of Treaty obligations and supports the intense in-season management schedules for Fraser River sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka) and pink (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) salmon (https://www.psc.org). Biological staff manage test fisheries, collect and analyze DNA samples for stock identification, operate a hydroacoustic program in the lower Fraser River (e.g., PSC 2021; Fig. 1), and update stock assessments throughout the fishing season. Despite representing one of the most data-rich and most intensely managed salmon fisheries in the Pacific, accurately estimating the return of pink salmon, in a timely manner for making fisheries management decisions, continues to be a challenge. Recent changes to the productivity (DFO 2021) and migration behaviour (Folkes et al. 2018) of the pink salmon run has confounded in-season assessments, leading biologists to review and update their traditional suite of stock assessment tools with the aim of improving the accuracy of run size and timing estimates.

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

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23849/npafctr17/18.22.

Citation

Hague, M.J., R.L. Hornsby, J.A. Gill, C.G.J. Michielsens, E.S. Jenkins, and Serena Wong.  2021.  Moving targets: assessing Fraser River pink salmon run size during a period of change and uncertainty.  N. Pac. Anadr. Fish Comm. Tech. Rep. 17: 18–22.  https://doi.org/10.23849/npafctr17/18.22.