Status of Steelhead in Alaska

Brian MarstonArea Fisheries Biologist

Alaska Department of Fish and GameDivision of Sport Fisheries, Yakutat, Alaska

Presentation Topics

• Distribution

• Fisheries

• Monitoring Data

• Concerns and conclusions

Stock Status Assessment

• Snorkel surveys• Weir counts of kelts and or adults

upstream– Scale pattern ageing; PIT tags– Length sampling– DST and Blood samples

Southeast Alaska Steelhead Snorkel Survey Index Streams

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

-100%

-50%

0%

50%

100%

150%

200%

250%

300%Peterson CreekPleasant Bay (Seymour)McDonald LakeWhite RiverPetersburg CreekEagle/Luck CreekHarris RiverFord Arm CreekSitkohAverage for all SEAK Streams

Year

Dev

iatio

n fr

om m

edia

n co

unt

Weir Counts

Situk River Weir Counts – Southeast Alaska

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

6,400 6,1137,964

12,462 12,265

15,003

12,438

7,312 7,302

5,335

7,458

Num

ber

of s

teel

head

kel

ts

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

29 28

36

12

47

35

75

21

15

9

34

Num

ber

of a

dult

stee

lhea

dSashin Creek Weir Counts – Southeast Alaska

Ratz Creek Weir Counts – Southeast Alaska

20

05

20

07

20

10

20

11

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

399

284

377

549

Nu

mb

er

of

ste

elh

ea

d k

elts

Karluk Weir Counts – Kodiak Area

2,147

1,501 1,518

954

1,366

1,775

2,376

1,429

1,879

2,203

3,687

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Num

ber o

f ste

elhe

ad k

elts

Litnik Weir Counts – Kodiak Area

118

67

221

63 5980

310 316

383

256

96

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Num

ber o

f ste

elhe

ad k

elts

Ayakulik Weir Counts – Kodiak Area

1,0901,148

995

93

591

319 342

790 769

585546

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Num

ber

of s

teel

head

kel

ts

Types of fishery harvest

• Sport Fish

• Subsistence

• Commercial – non target

Sport Fishery Regulations

• Southeast AlaskaHarvest Limit: 1 per day, 2 annually (> 36 inches)

Catch and releaseSpawning area closuresTrout: 2 per day (11-22) in combination with cutthroat

• Southcentral AlaskaHarvest Limit: 1 per day, 2 annually (> 20 inches)

Spawning area closuresWinter closuresKodiak Road Zone: C&RTrout: 2 per day (11-16) in combination

with cutthroat

• Upper Copper River

2 per day, 1 > 20 in. Catch and release Spawning closures

Statewide Catch Survey; Angling Catch

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

50,000

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Nu

mbe

r of s

teel

hea

d ca

ugh

t

Southcentral

Southeast

Total

Statewide Harvest Survey; Angling Harvest

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Num

ber o

f ste

elhe

ad h

arve

sted

Southcentral

Southeast

Total

Subsistence Harvest

609

34 37 37 4931 36 36 42 33

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

1997 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Nu

mb

er

of

ste

elh

ea

d h

arv

es

ted

Harvest Recorded on Federal Permits

ADF&G (1997) Harvest Estimates for Craig, Hydaburg, and Klawock

19

60

19

62

19

64

19

66

19

68

19

70

19

72

19

74

19

76

19

78

19

80

19

82

19

84

19

86

19

88

19

90

19

92

19

94

19

96

19

98

20

00

20

02

20

04

20

06

20

08

20

10

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

Rep

orte

d st

eelh

ead

harv

ests

in

com

mer

cial

fis

herie

sCommercial Steelhead Harvest in Southeast Alaska

Directed Harvest

Prohibited

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

600

650

700

750

800

850

900

Average total length (mm) of steelhead from the Situk River 1999-2011

Female Male

Tot

al le

ngth

(m

m)

550

650

750

850

950

1050

1150

0

50

100

150

200

Length Frequency of Steel-head from Situk River 2001

Female

Male

All

Total length (mm)

Fre

quen

cy

550

650

750

850

950

1050

1150

0

20

40

60

80

100

Length Frequency of Steel-head from Situk River 2009

Female

Male

All

Total length (mm)

Fre

quen

cy

550

650

750

850

950

1050

1150

0

50

100

150

200

Length Frequency of Steel-head from Situk River 2005

Female

Male

All

Total length (mm)

Fre

quen

cy

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

6,400 6,1137,964

12,462 12,265

15,003

12,438

7,312 7,302

5,335

7,458

Nu

mb

er

of

Ste

elh

ea

d K

elt

s

Scale Pattern Analysis

• Scale pattern analysisof saltwater growth, SitukRiver

: University of Alaska

• Blood samples: University of

Idaho

• Data storage tags forsalt water movementpatterns, Situk River

: University of Norway

Management Issues:

Habitat Degradation

• Roads

• Hydroelectric Projects

• Timber Harvest Management

Undocumented harvest in commercial and subsistence fisheries

Angler expectation management

:what is a steelhead sport fishery?

Future management directions

• Stock status data needed

• Continue long term datasets

• Survey unknown streams

• Preemptive Management

• Trout management plan• Protection of habitat and

species interactions

• Maintain size and age attributes

• Emphasize importance of fishery

• Current conservative regulations provide for sustainability of steelhead stocks while allowing for a productive sport fishery.

• Harvests remain low.

• Size attributes remain within normal variation where assessed.

• Current abundances of steelhead in the assessed streams of

Alaska appear to be within normal variation• SE streams have remained near average, while SC streams have been

more variable but experienced recent above average counts .

• Sustainable fisheries, habitat conservation, and maintenance of current stock

attributes remains the primary focus.

Conclusion:

Questions?

brian.marston@alaska.gov

Acknowledgements; Kelly Piazza, Mike Wood, Douglas Fleming, Troy Tydingco, Patrick Fowler, Dan Teske, Brian Glynn, Richard Chappell, Chet Woods, Steve McCurdy, Donn Tracy, Rodger Harding, Carol Coyle, David Love and Patrick McCormick