Production of coho salmon from the Taku River, 1995-1996
By: by Scott A. McPherson, David R. Bernard and M. Scott Kelley.
Contributors: Bernard, David R.; Kelley, M. Scott.; Alaska. Division of Sport Fish.
Series: Fishery data series -- no. 97-24.
Publisher: Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game, Division of Sport Fish, Research and Technical Services
Published: 1997
Place of publication: Anchorage
Language: eng
Number of pages: 33
Subjects: Coho salmon -- Taku River (B.C. and Alaska) -- Statistics.; Fish populations -- Taku River (B.C. and Alaska) -- Measurement.; Fishes -- Taku River (B.C. and Alaska) -- Statistics.
Description: Recovery of coded wire tags from adults in 1996 tagged as smolts in 1995 was used to estimate smolt abundance, harvest, exploitation rate, and production of coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch from the Taku River, near Juneau, Alaska. Two 12 diameter and two 8 diameter rotary smolt traps were fished near Canyon Island on the Taku River from 1 May to 22 June; additionally, 1540 baited G-40 minnow traps were fished daily from 6 May to 22 June. From 1 May to 22 June, 10,406 coho salmon smolt 70 mm fork length were tagged and released alive with valid tags with tag code 04-42-32. Sampled smolt averaged 94 mm fork length and were 79% age 1.0 and 21% age 2.0. In 1996, 136 adult coho salmon bearing coded wire tags were recovered in random sampling of marine fisheries corresponding to an estimated harvest of 44,529 (SE = 6,494) in U. S. marine waters. Of this harvest, the troll fishery took an estimated 56%, drift gillnet fisheries took 38%, seine fisheries 1%, and recreational fisheries 6%. An estimated 49,687 (SE = 3,650) adults passed by Canyon Island according to a mark-recapture experiment partially funded by Sport Fish Division that was conducted by the Commercial Fisheries Management and Development Division and the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Of this inriver return, 5,052 were harvested by inriver fishers above the U.S./Canada border, leaving an estimated escapement past all fisheries of 44,635. Estimated return (escapement plus harvest) in 1996 for coho salmon originating above Canyon Island is 94,219 (SE = 7,449); marine exploitation rate on this return is an estimated 47% (SE = 4%). Estimated return in 1996 for all coho salmon from the Taku River is 120,790 (SE 9,551), accounting for those fish originating below Canyon Island. Contribution of all Taku River coho salmon to the Juneau marine sport fishery was an estimated 3,155 fish, or 17% of the estimated harvest in that fishery. Estimated smolt abundance in 1995 from above Canyon Island was 986,489 (SE = 214,152), obtained by using a modified Petersen estimator, and marine survival rate of coho salmon smolt from above Canyon Island is an estimated 9.6% (SE = 2%).
Notes: "October 1997"

Includes bibliographical references (p. 20-22).

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