Sport fishing effort, catch, and harvest, fishery contributions and inriver abundance of Chilkat River chinook salmon near Haines, Alaska, in 1998

Description

The chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha sport fishery in Chilkat Inlet and the escapement into the Chilkat River were studied to add to the understanding of this important sport fishery and the salmon stock which supports it. A mark-recapture experiment was used to estimate spawning abundance of chinook salmon age 1.3 and older returning to the Chilkat River in 1998. Angler effort and harvest of wild mature chinook salmon in the Haines marine boat fishery were estimated using a creel survey. Harvest of large (>28 inches in total length) chinook salmon and chartered angler effort and harvest were also estimated. Contributions of brood year 1991 Chilkat River chinook salmon to sport and commercial fisheries in Alaska were estimated from recoveries of coded wire tags. Two hundred thirty-one (231) large (age 1.3 and older) chinook salmon were captured with drift gillnets and fish wheels, in the lower Chilkat River between June 11 and August 4, 1998; 227 of these fish were tagged with solid-core spaghetti tags. We examined a total of 531 large chinook salmon on spawning tributaries to the Chilkat River, and 32 of these were marked. On the basis of these data, we estimated that 3,675 (SE = 565) large chinook salmon immigrated into the Chilkat River during 1998. An estimated 8,200 angler-hours (SE = 747) of effort (7,546 targeted salmon hours; SE = 747) were expended for a harvest of 215 (SE = 56) large chinook salmon, of which 153 (SE = 51) were wild mature fish. Chartered anglers accounted for 39% of the targeted salmon effort and 17% of the harvest of large chinook salmon. The harvest of 1991 brood year Chilkat River chinook salmon in the common property fisheries over all years was estimated at 1,139 (SE = 215). The vast majority of this harvest occurred in the inside waters of northern Southeast Alaska. Reasons why this estimate is considered low are discussed.

Subjects

Series Statement

• Fishery data series -- no. 99-19.

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