Post on 17-Dec-2015
transcript
Stock Status
of Steelhead in Alaska- 2004
By Steve Hoffman
ADF&G Sport FishKetchikan, Alaska
Steelhead Distribution
Steelhead Distribution
Steelhead User Groups in Alaska
1. Sport a. Southcentral. Regulations vary from 1 or 2 per day over 20”,
spring spawning closures, annual limit of two, to catch and release only.
b. Kodiak. Regulations vary from 2 per day,1 over 20”, spring spawning closures, to catch and release only .
c. Alaska Peninsula. Catch and release only except Anchorage Bay Runway Lake – 2 per day, only one over 20”.
d. S.E. Alaska. Regulations Region wide are 1 per day, 2 per year, 36” minimum size. Ketchikan Creek and Klawock River allow up to 2 hatchery fish (as evidenced by missing adipose fin) per day, no minimum size and no annual limit.
Subsistence
2. Subsistence
a. Southcentral. Federal regulations allow retention of any steelhead caught while fishing for salmon on federal lands unless restricted on federal permit. State regulations mirror Federal regulations in all areas.
b. Kodiak. Federal regulations allow retention of any steelhead caught while fishing for salmon on federal lands unless restricted on federal permit. State regulations mirror Federal regulations in all areas.
c.Alaska Peninsula. Federal regulations allow retention of any steelhead caught while fishing for salmon on federal lands unless restricted on federal permit. State regulations mirror Federal regulations in all areas.
d. S.E. Alaska. Federal regulations allow harvest by permit in the Situk and Ahrnklin Rivers near Yakutat, Hamilton Bay and Kadake Bay rivers near Petersburg. Prince of Wales (POW)/ Kosciusko Islands by permit ( spring season 3/1 thru 5/31 with 5 fish per household, season cap of 500 and winter season of 12/1 thru last day of February, 2 fish per household, season cap of 100) . Retention of steelhead in rest of SE allowed while fishing for other salmon by permit. State regulations allow harvest in Situk and Ahrnklin Rivers near Yakutat with cap of 300. State regulations also allow directed harvest in parts of Districts 3,7 and 8 plus bycatch in remainder of SE Alaska when fishing for salmon by permit
Subsistence cont.
Commercial
• a. Southcentral. Regulations allow the sale by all fisheries but many are not reported correctly as they are sold as other species or retained for personal use.
• b. Kodiak. Regulations allow the sale by all fisheries but many are not reported correctly as they are sold as other species or retained for personal use. Highest reported harvest approached 1,000.
• c. Alaska Peninsula. Regulations allow the sale by all fisheries but many are not reported correctly as they are sold as other species or retained for personal use.
• d. S.E. Alaska. Regulations allow retention for personal use but non- sale for seine and gillnet fisheries since 1997 with no reporting requirement.Prior to 1997, reported catch by seine and gillnet fleets averaged 2,900 per year. Retention for personal use and/or sales by troll fleet still allowed but very small numbers ( approx 50/yr).
Stock Status Monitoring
1. Escapement weirs
2. Snorkel Counts
3. State Wide Postal Survey
Escapement Weirs
Southcentrala. Ninilchik River – USFW project 3-400 escapement.
b. Upper Copper River tributaries such as Gulkana R., Dicky Cr. operated by ADF&G found escapements of 1-300 fish.
Kodiak
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
Num
ber
of S
teel
head
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
Year
Downstream Kelt Weir Counts
Karluk
Ayakulik
Alaska Peninsula
No weirs operated.
SE ALASKAa. Sitkoh Creek emigrant steelhead weir counts.
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1936 1937 1982 1990 1993 1996 2003
Year
Num
ber
of S
teel
head
SE ALASKAa. Sitkoh Creek Emigrant Steelhead Weir Counts.
SE Alaska Cont.
B. Situk River Emigrant Steelhead Escapement Weir Count.
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Year
Nu
mb
er o
f S
teel
hea
d
2. Snorkel survey peak counts.
a. Southcentral - No countsb. Kodiak - No counts.c. Alaska Peninsula – No counts.d. SE Alaska from 11 index streams.
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
Nu
mb
er o
f S
teel
hea
d
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Year
SE Alaska
3. Statewide Postal Surveysa. Southcentral Statewide Catch and Harvest Postal Survey 1991-2002 Southcentral, Alaska (excluding Kodiak Area).
Steelhead Catch
0
2000
4000
60008000
10000
12000
14000
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Year
Nu
mb
er
Steelhead Harvest
0
500
1000
1500
2000
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Year
Nu
mb
er
b. Kodiak
Statewide Catch and Harvest Postal Survey 1991-2002 – Kodiak, Alaska Area.
Steelhead Catch
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002Year
Nu
mb
er
Steelhead Harvest
0
50
100
150
200
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Year
Nu
mb
er
c. Alaska Peninsula
No steelhead postal survey catch and harvest data reported.
d. SE Alaska
Steelhead Catch
0
5000
1000015000
20000
25000
30000
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Year
Num
ber
Steelhead Harvest
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Year
Nu
mb
er
State Wide Catch and Harvest Postal Survey 1991-2002. Southeast Alaska
Summary
Limited data and information throughout the distribution of steelhead in Alaska. Runs appear generally below historical levels, at least in small to mid-
size streams in most areas as well as the majority of the larger streams. Some improvement noted in SE Alaska but additional years needed to verify this trend.
All resource agencies in Alaska need to re-direct or obtain new funding
to gain current stock status data on this species throughout Alaska.
Questions !!!