Publication number: BOEMRE 2011-023

Review of Salmonid Use of North Aleutian Basin Lease Area and Surrounding 

Habitats 

NOAA Fisheries 

Alaska Fisheries Science Center 

Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute 

17109 Pt. Lena Loop Rd. 

Juneau, Alaska 99801 
Review of Salmonid Use of North Aleutian Basin Lease Area 

and Surrounding Habitats 

Alexander G. Andrews III and Edward V. Farley Jr. 

April 2011 

NOAA Fisheries 

Alaska Fisheries Science Center 

Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute 

17109 Pt. Lena Loop Rd. 

Juneau, Alaska 99801 

This study was funded in part by the US Department of the Interior, 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement, 

as part of the Environmental Studies Program through 

Interagency Agreement M09PGC00008 

With the US Department of Commerce, NOAA Fisheries, 

Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 

Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute 
iii 

ABSTRACT 

 In southwestern Bristol Bay, the North Aleutian Basin has been identified as a 

potential lease area for oil and gas exploration. In preparation of an upcoming field 

project to learn more about the salmon distribution, season use, and migration pathways 

in the lease area the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Ted Stevens Marine Research 

Institute undertook a review of existing information on salmon in the area. Bristol Bay 

has some of the largest salmon returns in the world which play an important role for the 

subsistence communities and for the economic health of the region. Between 1988 and 

2008 in Bristol Bay, commercial fisheries harvested an average of over 26 million 

salmon. Salmon research efforts were instigated in the 1930’s to better understand this 

important resource. Seaward-bound juveniles as well as returning adults are abundant in 

the North Aleutian Basin lease area from May to September. Migratory routes for both 

juveniles and maturing fish traverse the North Aleutian Basin, Bristol Bay and the eastern 

Bering Sea. Bycatch data collected by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) 

observer program shows that immature salmon occupy the area at all seasons of the year. 
iv 

CONTENTS 

Abstract ..........................................................................................................iii 

Introduction ....................................................................................................1 

Methods..........................................................................................................2 

Results and Discussion ..................................................................................3 

 Juveniles .............................................................................................4 

 Immatures ..........................................................................................9 

 Maturing .............................................................................................10 

Conclusions ....................................................................................................12 

Acknowledgments..........................................................................................12 

Citations .........................................................................................................13 

Tables and Figures .........................................................................................15 
1 

INTRODUCTION 

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement 

(BOEMRE), Environmental Studies Program (ESP) was established and funded by the U.S. 

Congress to support the offshore oil and gas leasing program of the U.S. Department of the 

Interior in pursuit of national energy policies. Administered originally in 1973 by the Bureau 

of Land Management, the consistent mandate of the ESP has been to establish the 

information needed for assessment and management of potential impacts from oil and gas 

development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and coastal environments. The OCS 

refers to 1.7 billion acres of Federal jurisdiction lands submerged under the ocean seaward of 

State boundaries, generally beginning three statute miles off the coastline (for most states) 

and extending for 200 miles. The Alaska OCS Region alone contains approximately one 

billion acres. The Alaska ESP has primary focus on upcoming developments, possible lease 

sales, exploration activities and existing leases in the Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, and North 

Aleutian Basin Planning Areas. The focus of this document is on the North Aleutian Basin 

(NAB), or southwestern Bristol Bay (Figure 1). 

It would be difficult to identify an area in the Bering Sea, or possibly anywhere in 

the world that has greater fisheries use issues than the North Aleutian planning area. 

Bristol Bay includes eight major river systems that collectively support the largest 

commercial sockeye salmon fishery in the world. The Kvichak River is home to the 

single largest salmon run and the Nushagak River hosts a robust king salmon run, 

providing subsistence and commercial income to the peoples of western Alaska. Annual 

commercial catches average nearly 24 million sockeye salmon, 69,000 chinook, 971,000 

chum, 133,000 coho, and 593,000 pinks. On average, individuals in Bristol Bay 

communities harvest 315 pounds per person, as their main source of food.
2 

Local residents, highly dependent on salmon for both economic and subsistence 

livelihoods, are concerned about oilspill and other impacts on salmon in the lease area. A 

review of fishery resources within the eastern Bering Sea suggested that salmon were found 

in the North Aleutian Basin waters from May through at least October as seaward-migrating 

juveniles or returning adults; immature salmon were believed to be present in the area year 

round (Thorsteinson and Thorsteinson 1984). The goal of this report is to examine relevant 

data sources, both past and present, and existing literature to update what is known about 

juvenile, immature and maturing salmon distribution and migration pathways within the 

NAB region and to create spatial and temporal GIS layers of these known distributions for 

interim use in NEPA evaluations. 

METHODS 

A review of existing literature and relevant data products was performed and key 

data on salmon presence and absence were identified; see Table 1 for list of data sources. 

Other relevant data products come from commercial fishery catch records from the 

Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Area M fishery and from salmon bycatch records 

collected by the Alaska Fishery Science Center, Observer Program during the Bering Sea 

walleye Pollock fishery. Gear types included: pelagic trawls, gill nets, seines, circular 

tow nets, and surface trawls. 

The largest data sets for salmon presence and absence in the NAB come from 

summer and fall surveys conducted by scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 

U.S. Bering-Aleutian Salmon International Survey (U.S. BASIS) project (1999 to 2009) 

and from salmon bycatch records available in the NORPAC database. For U.S. BASIS 

data, all salmon were combined and sorted by maturity stage into three groups: juvenile, 
3 

immature, and mature. Salmon catch data were selected from all stations south of 60 

degrees latitude north; this area will be referred to as the southern eastern Bering Sea 

(SEBS). Because U.S. BASIS data included data on salmon catches from July to 

October; we chose to group summer and fall seasons together as the U.S BASIS data 

come from a continuous cruise that overlaps these seasons (Appendix I). 

For salmon bycatch data, salmon were separated into two groups: Chinook and 

other salmon (other salmon is predominantly composed of chum). Catches occurred 

from 1988 to 2006 for chinook and from 1989 to 2006 for other salmon. Salmon 

captured as bycatch are not sorted by maturity; given the gear type and seasons we will 

consider the majority of these salmon as immature. We confined our data query to catch 

locations that occurred in the Bering Sea less than 175 degrees longitude west and less 

than 60 degrees latitude north. 

 Salmon catch data were grouped by season into the following categories: winter 

(December, January, and February), spring (March, April, and May), summer (June, July, 

and August), and fall (September, October, and November). Splitting these data by 

season provided a greater understanding of the seasonal presence and absence of salmon 

in the NAB lease area and the surrounding areas. 

RESULTS and DISCUSSION 

 The biology of Pacific salmon, as it pertains to Bristol Bay and North Aleutian 

Basin area, can be divided into three phases that include the juvenile, immature, and 

maturing life history stages. All of the five common Pacific salmon species in western 

Alaska are anadromous, in that they spend parts of their life history in freshwater and 
4 

marine environments. However, each species spend differing amounts of time in each 

environment. For example, pink and chum salmon proceed immediately to sea after 

emergence from spawning beds, whereas chinook, coho, and sockeye salmon may spend 

up to 1 or more years in freshwater after emergence before heading out to sea. The 

timing of the seaward migration of salmon smolt is generally from May through August, 

peaking sometime during June. However, the peak seaward migration is species and 

stock specific and varies according to annual differences in spring ice break-up and the 

distance salmon fry must travel to get to the ocean from a particular spawning or rearing 

area within a lake or river. Once in the ocean, western Alaska salmon have extensive 

ocean migration pathways spanning the North Pacific Ocean (Myers et al. 2007). Pink 

and coho salmon spend only one year in the ocean before returning to natal streams to 

spawn. Chinook, chum, and sockeye salmon typically spend two or more years in the 

ocean before returning to spawn as adults, although there are some instances where these 

salmon return after one year at sea. 

Juvenile Salmon 

 Nearly all the information on western Alaska juvenile salmon life history stage 

comes from research efforts conducted in the eastern Bering Sea from the 1930s to 

present (Farley et al. 2005; Hartt and Dell 1986; Isakson et al. 1986; Ogi 1973; Paulus 

1973; Straty 1981; Straty et al. 1974; Straty and Jaenicke 1980). Much of the previous 

research (through the 1970s) was summarized in Thorsteinson and Thorsteinson (1984) 

to provide an overview of the potential impacts of oil and gas development on fish 

resources within the North Aleutian Basin/ Bristol Bay region. Their summary on 
5 

western Alaska salmon suggested that both seaward-bound juveniles and returning adults 

are abundant in the NAB region from May to September. While juvenile sockeye, 

chinook, coho, pink, and chum salmon were collected during the surveys, the data were 

only sufficient to describe the migratory pathway for juvenile sockeye salmon (Straty 

1974). The survey results indicated that the migratory pathway for juvenile sockeye 

salmon was near the coast, where the migratory band extended approximately 60 km 

from the shore (Figure 2). The absence of juvenile chinook salmon during later survey 

periods supported the hypothesis that juvenile chinook salmon migrated out of the Bristol 

Bay region more quickly than other juvenile salmon species. 

Research surveys conducted in the mid 1980s to determine the offshore 

distribution and migration corridors for juvenile sockeye salmon largely confirmed the 

results found by Straty (1974) and summarized in Thorsteinson and Thorsteinson (1984) 

in that the migratory corridor for juvenile sockeye salmon was nearshore along the 

Alaska Peninsula (Isakson et al. 1986). However, the hypothesis that juvenile sockeye 

salmon progressively move offshore with increasing size was not strongly supported by 

their data. These results were likely influenced by the survey design, because the 

sampled transects did not extend as far offshore as those sampled during previous 

surveys. In addition, sockeye salmon smolt marking experiments performed by Straty 

(1974) during 1967 to 1970 were summarized in Isakson et al. (1986). The mean 

migration rate estimated for pooled stocks by year and for pooled years by stock indicate 

a grand mean of approximately 9.6 km/day, which they report is very close to one body 

length per second for juvenile Bristol Bay sockeye salmon of average length. The 
6 

authors emphasized the pressing need for research to define the roles and consequences 

of biotic and abiotic variables in modifying salmon migrations. 

Beginning in 2000, scientists from the National Marine Fisheries Service 

conducted research along the eastern Bering Sea shelf with a goal of determining 

mechanisms affecting marine survival of western Alaska juvenile salmon. The research 

named U.S. Bering-Aleutian Salmon International Survey (U.S. BASIS) was conducted 

in collaboration with member nations of the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission 

(NPAFC1). The portion of the surveys that focused on juvenile salmon in the 

southeastern Bering Sea occurred during mid August to early September and sampled 

stations within Bristol Bay and offshore along the eastern Bering Sea shelf (Figure 3). 

Juvenile salmon were collected using a mid-water rope trawl that was rigged to fish the 

top 15 m of the water column (see Farley et al. 2005 for details). The mid-water rope 

trawl was 198 m long, had hexagonal mesh in wings and body, and had a 1.2-cm mesh 

liner in the codend. The rope trawl was towed at 3.5 to 5 knots, and had a typical spread 

of 50 m horizontally and 12 m vertically. 

The research provided information on distribution (Figure 4), migration pathways 

(Figure 5), and size of juvenile western Alaska salmon (Farley et al. 2005). Upon leaving 

freshwater lake systems around Bristol Bay, juvenile sockeye salmon migrate west along 

the northern and southern sides of Bristol Bay, moving offshore and away from their 

freshwater rearing habitats as they grow. Juvenile chum and coho salmon migrate 

westward along the northern end of the southeastern Bering Sea region (south of latitude 

60 ̊N) upon entering the eastern Bering Sea from the Kuskokwim River, gradually 

 

1

 North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission. 2001. Plan for NPAFC Bering-Aleutian Salmon 

International Survey (BASIS) 2002 – 2006. NPAFC Doc. 579, Rev. 2. 27 p. 
7 

moving offshore (southwest) as they grow. Juvenile chinook salmon from the 

Kuskokwim River also appear to migrate westward along the northern end of the 

southeastern Bering Sea region; however, the decreasing size with distance from the 

northern shoreline suggests the presence of other stocks farther offshore. 

Juvenile chum and chinook salmon from the Yukon River migrate southwesterly. 

The presence of 2 coded wire tagged juvenile Whitehorse Rapids Salmon Hatchery 

chinook salmon caught within Norton Sound also suggests that some juvenile chinook 

salmon from the Yukon River migrate north into Norton Sound. A general southwesterly 

migration pathway along the northeastern Bering Sea shelf appears plausible, with either 

the presence of separate stocks of juvenile pink salmon from western Alaska or a mixture 

of western Alaska stocks nearshore and Russian stocks (southeasterly migration) 

offshore. 

For Bristol Bay sockeye salmon, the results indicated two different migration 

pathways. The first migration pathway was west in an area defined from the Alaska 

Peninsula and extending offshore to 57°N, while the second migration pathway was 

farther offshore along the northern and southern sides of Bristol Bay (Farley et al. 2007a; 

Farley et al. 2005). In general, these recent studies indicated that fish were large, had 

higher marine-stage survival rates, and were in better condition when their migration 

pathway was farther offshore. In addition, growth rate potential in the offshore regions 

was higher than nearshore regions suggesting that juvenile sockeye salmon that distribute 

and migrate farther offshore would find themselves in areas of higher growth rate 

potential. Size selective mortality, particularly on smaller juvenile sockeye salmon, 
8 

appears to be an important factor impacting their early marine survival (Farley et al. 

2007a; Farley et al. 2007b). 

Juvenile coho and chinook salmon were distributed nearshore, but not found in 

the deeper, offshore waters. One possible explanation for the absence of juvenile coho 

and chinook salmon within the deeper, offshore waters is that their vertical distribution 

increases as bottom depth increases, potentially making them unavailable to the surface 

trawl. Although we do not have data on the actual vertical distribution of juvenile salmon 

in our survey, we can infer some general patterns from other surveys. Juvenile coho and 

chinook salmon can occur in water depths down to 50-m, but juvenile coho salmon 

maintain their highest densities in the upper 15-m of the water column (Beamish et al. 

2000); whereas juvenile chinook salmon are distributed deeper, but are still present in the 

upper 15-m of the water column (Orsi and Wertheimer 1995). Therefore, the absence of 

juvenile coho and chinook salmon in deeper, offshore waters of our survey does not 

necessarily indicate a bias in our sampling gear but rather that they appear to prefer the 

nearshore, shallow locations. 

Comparisons between the earlier and more recent research on juvenile salmon 

indicate that the migratory pathways for juvenile salmon depend upon the prevailing 

environmental conditions during spring and summer within the eastern Bering Sea. In 

general, juvenile sockeye and pink salmon are found offshore in deeper water during 

August through September, whereas juvenile chinook and coho salmon are still present in 

nearshore locations. The past and present data sets indicate that all five juvenile salmon 

species are distributed in the eastern Bering Sea shelf, near or within the NAB region 
9 

from May through October (Figure 4; Table 1). These juvenile fish are likely present on 

the shelf beyond October. 

Immature Salmon 

Most of the information on immature salmon distribution in the Bristol Bay and 

North Aleutian Basin areas comes from research surveys and observer data collected on 

board fishing vessels during the Bering Sea walleye Pollock commercial fishery. 

Immature salmon (ocean age #.1) were also captured during the April through October 

surveys (Hartt and Dell 1986). All of the salmon species were caught in the eastern 

Bering Sea, along the Alaska Peninsula during the survey periods with the exception of 

coho salmon during April to June and pink salmon during September to October, 

although sampling did not occur in all areas during the later time period. 

Salmon mature at different stages depending on species. Pink and coho salmon 

mature at age #.1 and thus can be expected to be moving toward spawning grounds 

during their second summer or fall at sea. The other salmon species are considered 

immature, meaning that a majority of them will remain in the ocean for 1 or more years 

before maturing and thus are considered to be migrating into and out of the eastern 

Bering Sea area. 

 Salmon bycatch data are considered to be predominantly immature salmon. 

These salmon are split into two groups: chinook and other salmon species. It is critical 

that the bycatch data are interpreted correctly. These data show where fisheries occur 

and where these fisheries capture salmon as bycatch. These data do not show all the 

areas that salmon are present; they only show areas that have been fished. Salmon 
10 

bycatch (not including chinook) occurs in the lease area every season of the year (Figure 

6). Similarly, chinook bycatch occurs in the lease area every season of the year (Figure 

7). Figures 6 & 7 display uneven distributional patterns for most seasons and have large 

voids where salmon were not caught; some of these surrounding areas probably were not 

fished and do have immature salmon present. The bycatch data provides key information 

on immature salmon distribution during the winter and spring periods when weather 

conditions are prohibitive to research sampling. 

Maturing Salmon 

 The time of the spawning migration for all five Pacific salmon species returning 

to their natal rivers in the eastern Bering Sea was summarized by Thorsteinson and 

Thorsteinson (1984). Their summary included results of research efforts from the 1960s 

to 1970s to determine migratory pathways of maturing salmon returning to western 

Alaska. These summaries suggest that maturing sockeye, chum, and pink salmon are 

widely distributed throughout the eastern Bering Sea, but are heavily concentrated in 

bands north and south of the Pribilof Islands (Figures 8 - 10). The southern band 

traverses Bristol Bay and includes stocks of salmon migrating to the north side of the 

Alaska Peninsula, Bristol Bay, and Kuskokwim River (Straty 1981). The homeward 

migratory band of chinook salmon is a little further offshore than sockeye, pink, and 

chum salmon, whereas the migratory band of coho salmon is nearshore along the Alaska 

Peninsula (Straty 1981)(Figures 11, 12). Recent data from a test fishery near Port Moller 

(Flynn et al. 2003) supported the earlier migratory model for these salmon developed by 

Straty (1981). 
11 

Commercial catch records collected from fisheries along the northern Alaska 

Peninsula and Bristol Bay were also provided in the report. The results suggested that 

maturing salmon are most abundant in the NAB region from mid-May to early 

September. Maturing chinook salmon arrive first, followed by sockeye, chum, pink, fall 

chum, and coho salmon. Mean salmon catch between 1977 and 1981 for the major 

salmon districts was 1.7 million salmon for the Alaska Peninsula and 23 million salmon 

for Bristol Bay from 1977 to 1981. For Bristol Bay, the largest average catch was 

sockeye salmon (17,230,369) followed by pink (3,901,557), chum (1,313,866), coho 

(227,911), and chinook (171,719) salmon (Thorsteinson and Thorsteinson 1984). 

More recent data indicate that between 1988 and 2008 in Bristol Bay, commercial 

fisheries harvested an average of over 26 million salmon; the largest average catch was 

sockeye salmon (24,953,708) followed by chum (957,138), pink (230,944), coho 

(97,606), and chinook (65,939) respectively (Jones et al. 2009). Although smaller in 

scale, the North Alaska Peninsula region contains fisheries that are directly inshore from 

the North Aleutian Basin Lease Area. Between 1998 and 2007 in the North Alaska 

Peninsula, commercial fisheries harvested an average of over 2 million salmon; the 

largest catch was sockeye salmon (2,021,408) followed by chum (84,787), coho (64,190), 

pink (34,136), and chinook (6,237) respectively (Murphy and Hartill 2009). The 

commercial data also suggest similar run timing through the North Aleutian Basin (June 

through September) area to that found in the past, with chinook salmon moving through 

first followed by sockeye, pink, chum, and coho salmon (Table 2). 
12 

CONCLUSIONS 

 It is evident from reviewing the available literature and data sets that salmon are 

present in the NAB and surrounding areas all seasons of the year. The U.S. BASIS data 

illustrate the broad distributions of all maturity stages of salmon that extend across the 

breadth of the southeastern Bering Sea during the summer and fall months (Figure 4). 

These data support previous studies that demonstrated the migratory routes of both 

juvenile (Figure 5) and maturing salmon; many of these migratory routes pass through or 

very near to the NAB. The NMFS observer data provides key insights into the winter 

and spring use of the NAB and surrounding areas and clearly show that immature 

chinook and other salmon (mostly chum) are commonly found within the NAB at all 

seasons. 

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

 This study was funded in part by the U.S. Department of the Interior, 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement, 

Environmental Studies Program through Interagency Agreement M09PGC00008 

with the U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Fisheries Science 

Center. Thanks to the participants of the U.S. BASIS cruises and the NMFS Observer 

program for contributing to key data sets that span a large time period and large 

geographical area in the eastern Bering Sea. 
13 

CITATIONS 

Beamish, R. J., D. McCaughran, J. R. King, R. M. Sweeting, and G. A. McFarlane. 2000. 

Estimating the abundance of juvenile coho salmon in the Strait of Georgia by 

means of surface trawls. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 

20:369-375. 

Farley, E. V., J. M. Murphy, M. D. Adkinson, and L. B. Eisner. 2007a. Juvenile sockeye 

salmon distribution, size, condition and diet during years with warm and cool 

spring sea temperatures along the eastern Bering Sea shelf. Journal of Fish 

Biology 71(4):1145-1158. 

Farley, E. V., J. M. Murphy, M. D. Adkinson, L. B. Eisner, J. H. Helle, J. H. Moss, and J. 

Nielsen. 2007b. Early marine growth in relation to marine-stage survival rates for 

Alaska sockeye salmon (Onchorhynchus nerka). Fishery Bulletin 105:121-130. 

Farley, E. V., J. M. Murphy, B. W. Wing, J. H. Moss, and A. Middleton. 2005. 

Distribution, migration pathways, and size of western Alaska juvenile salmon 

along the eastern Bering Sea shelf. Alaska Fishery Research Bulletin 11(1):15-26. 

Flynn, L., R. Hilborn, and A. E. Punt. 2003. Indentifying the spatial distribution of stocks 

of migrating adult sockeye salmon using age composition data. Alaska Fishery 

Research Bulletin 10(1):50-60. 

Hartt, A. C. and M. B. Dell. 1986. Early oceanic migrations and growth of juvenile 

Pacific salmon and steelhead trout. International North Pacific Fisheries 

Commission, Bulletin Number 46, Vancouver, Canada. 

Isakson, J. S., J. P. Houghton, D. E. Rogers, and S. S. Parker. 1986. Fish use of inshore 

habitats north of the Alaska Peninsula June - September 1984 and June - July 

1985. Dames & Moore, Final Report, Outer Continental Shelf Environmental 

Assessment Program Research Unit 659, Seattle. 

Jones, M., T. Sands, S. Morstad, P. Salomone, T. Baker, G. Buck, and F. West. 2009. 

2008 Bristol Bay Area Annual Management Report. Alaska Department of Fish 

and Game, No. 09-30, Anchorage, Alaska. 

Murphy, R. L. and T. R. Hartill. 2009. North Alaska Peninsula Commercial Salmon 

Annual Management Report, 2008. Alaska Department of Fish and Game, No. 

09-36, Anchorage, Alaska. 

Ogi, H. 1973. Ecological studies on juvenile sockeye salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka 

(Walbaum), in Bristol Bay, with special reference to its distribution and 

population. Hokkaido University Faculty of Fisheries Bulletin 24(1):1-41. 

Orsi, J. A. and A. C. Wertheimer. 1995. Marine vertical distribution of juvenile chinook 

and coho salmon in southeastern Alaska. Transactions of the American Fisheries 

Society 124:159-169. 

Paulus, R. D. 1973. Bristol Bay test fishing program. Alaska Department of Fish and 

Game, Completion Report. AFC-6, Juneau, Alaska. 

Straty, R. R. 1981. Trans-shelf movements of Pacific salmon. Pages 575-595 in D. W. 

Hood, and J. A. Calder, editors. The eastern Bering Sea shelf: oceanography and 

resources, volume 1. NOAA, Seattle. 
14 

Straty, R. R., D. W. Hood, and E. J. Kelley. 1974. Ecology and behavior of juvenile 

sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in Bristol Bay and the eastern Bering Sea. 

Pages 285-320 in D. W. Hood, and E. J. Kelley editors. Oceanography of the 

Bering Sea. . University of Alaska Institute of Marine Science. 

Straty, R. R. and H. W. Jaenicke. 1980. Estuarine influence of salinity, temperature, and 

food on the behavior, growth and dynamics of Bristol Bay sockeye salmon. Pages 

247-265 in W. J. McNeil, and D. C. Himsworth, editors. Salmonid ecosystems of 

the North Pacific. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, OR. 

Thorsteinson, F. V. and L. K. Thorsteinson. 1984. Fishery resources. Pages 159 in L. K. 

Thorsteinson, editor The North Aleutian shelf environment and possible 

consequences of offshore oil and gas development, Anchorage, AK. 

Whitmore, C., M. Martz, J. C. J. Linderman, R. L. Fisher, and D. G. Bue. 2008. Annual 

management report for the subsistence and commercial fisheries of the 

Kuskokwim Area, 2004. Alaska Department of Fish and Game, No. 08-25, 

Anchorage, AK. 

 
15 

Table 1. – Months where southeastern Bering Sea catch data and information exists for 

juvenile, immature, and maturing sockeye, chum, pink, coho, and chinook 

salmon. (Source: Ogi 1973; Straty 1974; Straty 1981; Isakson 1986; Hartt and 

Dell 1986; U.S. BASIS; and NMFS Observer Program). 

LHS Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

I/Mat Sockeye X X X X X 

Chum X X X X X X X X X X X X 

Pink X X X 

Chinook X X X X X X X X X X X X 

Coho X X X X 

Juv Sockeye X X X X X 

Chum X X X X X 

Pink X X X X X 

Chinook X X X X 

Coho X X X X X 

 
16 

Table 2. – Fisheries on salmon migrating through the North Aleutian Shelf including the 

total catch (millions), periods fish were taken, and peak week for 2008. (Source: Murphy 

and Hartill 2009; Jones et al. 2009; Whitmore et al. 2008). 

North Peninsula Bristol Bay Kuskokwim 

Chinook 

Total Catch 

Fishing Period 

Peak Weak 

0.002 

6/7 – 9/5 

6/28 – 7/14 

0.024 

6/9 – 8/21 

6/28 – 7/9 

0.028 

6/15 – 9/8 

6/15 – 7/5 

Sockeye 

Total Catch 

Fishing Period 

Peak Weak 

2.004 

6/7 – 9/12 

6/28 – 7/11 

27.686 

6/9 – 8/28 

6/30 – 7/10 

0.044 

6/15 – 9/6 

7/5 – 7/9 

Chum 

Total Catch 

Fishing Period 

Peak Weak 

0.177 

6/28 – 9/12 

7/19 – 7/25 

1.290 

6/9 – 8/21 

6/26 – 7/20 

0.046 

6/15 – 9/8 

6/30 – 7/14 

Pink 

Total Catch 

Fishing Period 

Peak Weak 

0.021 

6/21 – 8/29 

7/19 – 8/1 

0.276 

6/18 – 8/20 

7/20 – 8/2 

0.00 

Coho 

Total Catch 

Fishing Period 

Peak Weak 

0.125 

7/5 – 9/12 

8/9 – 8/22 

0.114 

7/4 – 9/5 

7/29 – 8/16 

0.516 

7/6 – 9/8 

8/23 – 8/30 
17 

Figure 1. – Map of Bristol Bay, showing the North Aleutian Basin Lease Area (yellow) 

and survey stations to be sampled during May and July 2010 by the Alaska 

Fisheries Science Center. 
18 

Figure 2. – Distribution of juvenile sockeye salmon during seaward migration, mid-May 

through September (Straty 1981). 
19 

Figure 3. – Typical surface trawl station locations during August – September, 2004 to 

2007 for the U.S. Bering-Aleutian Salmon International Survey (U.S. BASIS) 

conducted by scientists from the Alaska Fishery Science Center, Auke Bay 

Laboratories. 
20 

Figure 4. - Combined summer and fall distribution maps for juvenile, immature, and 

maturing salmon in the southeastern Bering Sea (Source: U.S. BASIS). 
21 

Figure 5. – Seaward migration pathways for juvenile pink (clear arrow), chum (solid 

arrow), sockeye (slashed arrow), coho, and chinook (boxed line arrow) salmon 

along the eastern Bering Sea shelf during August through October 2002. (Farley 

et al. 2005). 
22 

Figure 6. - General location of salmon bycatch (not including chinook) in pelagic trawl 

gear between 1987 and 2006 (Source: NMFS Observer Program). Plots depict 

seasonal distributions of predominantly immature salmon bycatch (not including 

chinook) in the southeastern Bering Sea (SEBS). 
23 

Figure 7. - General location of chinook salmon bycatch in pelagic trawl gear between 

1987 and 2006 (Source: NMFS Observer Program). Plots depict seasonal 

distributions of predominantly immature chinook salmon bycatch in the 

southeastern Bering Sea (SEBS). 
24 

Figure 8. – Distribution of sockeye salmon during spawning migration (Straty 1981). 
25 

Figure 9. – Distribution of chum salmon during spawning migration, mid-June to early 

August (Straty 1981). 
26 

Figure 10. – Distribution of pink salmon during spawning migration, mid-June to midAugust (Straty 1981). 
27 

Figure 11. – Distribution of chinook salmon during spawning migration, early June to 

mid-July (Straty 1981). 
28 

Figure 12. – Distribution of coho salmon during spawning migration, early July to early 

September (Straty 1981). 
The Department of the Interior Mission 

As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for 

most of our nationally owned public lands and natural resources. This includes fostering sound use of 

our land and water resources; protecting our fish, wildlife, and biological diversity; preserving the 

environmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places; and providing for the 

enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our energy and mineral 

resources and works to ensure that their development is in the best interests of all our people by 

encouraging stewardship and citizen participation in their care. The Department also has a major 

responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in island territories 

under U.S. administration. 

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement Mission 

As a bureau of the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation 

and Enforcement’s (BOEMRE) primary responsibilities are to manage the mineral resources located on 

the Nation's Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in an environmentally sound and safe manner. 

The BOEMRE Environmental Studies Program Mission 

The mission of the Environmental Studies Program (ESP) is to provide the information needed to 

predict, assess, and manage impacts from offshore energy and marine mineral exploration, 

development, and production activities on human, marine, and coastal environments.