All NSRAA Chinook and chum returns through Friday June 27th appear to be on, or just above, our pre-season forecast. Return timing this year appears to be tracking with the long-term average for each site, in contrast to last year with strong early chum returns. Medvejie Hatchery Chinook returns continue to remain steady after a slow start in the spring troll fishery and it appears we will meet or exceed our pre-season forecast of 24k adults, which would be the largest return in a decade.
Chinook
Spring troll harvest of AK hatchery chinook through stat wk 25 has totaled 2,538 chinook with 1,854 of those NSRAA produced. Of the NSRAA production 70 came from Hidden Falls production and 1,784 from Medvejie. We have made steady progress on securing Chinook brood stock at Medvejie and as of Friday 6/27 have secured approximately 50% of our brood needs. We anticipate by end of next week we will likely have sufficient Chinook brood secured.
Chum
Hidden Falls-Return numbers and timing continue to track our forecast and approximately 61,000 adults were harvested in stat wk 26. Stat wk 26 harvest of 61,000 is 3 times the long-term average harvest for that stat week. Samples from Sunday 6/22 indicate 80% male and 80% age-4 adults and a 7.8lb average. Seine effort on openings continues to increase with 28 boats participating in the Thursday opening this week. Hidden Falls will remain open through the July 6th opening at time it will close in order to complete cost recovery and collect brood.
Deep Inlet-Deep Inlet returns, similar to Hidden Falls, is also tracking with our forecast for this stat week. Harvest at Deep Inlet will likely also end up around 60,000 fish, which is double the long-term average for this stat week. Sex ratio of adults this week is slightly above 80% with 75% age-4 and 25% age-5 and a 6.9lb average. Deep Inlet will close to common property fishing end of day after troll on Saturday 6/28. Deep Inlet cost recovery will begin Sunday or Monday next week and the THA will remain closed until cost recovery is complete. Deep Inlet will reopen for one week, stat week 32, regardless of cost recovery progress. Cost recovery progress is updated daily on our website homepage.
SE Cove/Thomas Bay- Harvest at SE Cove has been above average for this time of year and is tracking ahead of our forecast with a total of 20,000 fish harvested this week. Typically SE Cove returns begin to build a week or so later than Hidden Falls which makes this early harvest encouraging. Additionally, the Thursday harvest this week had a 92% male ratio and a 7.2lb average. Age data is not available yet for yesterday’s harvest but will be posted on the SE Cove in-season fishing page as soon as it is available (SE Cove in-season fishing page ). SE Cove will close for cost recovery after the July 4th gillnet opening. Thomas Bay has had limited effort and harvest to date.
Test fishing at Hawk Inlet and Point Gardner is currently ongoing and that information should be available Monday June 29th.
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