Return Update-July 24th

This past week has seen a steep decline in returns to all NSRAA chum sites. This decline has been seen at Deep Inlet, Hidden Falls, SE Cove and Thomas Bay. Unfortunately this has created challenges making any significant progress on cost recovery. We continue to monitor the returns at the Terminal Harvest Areas and are sampling the relevant common property fisheries to determine if this is the end of the run or an extremely truncated tail end of the summer chum returns. The Chatham strait test fisheries continue to indicate an above average number of chum in the area but we are not seeing that correlate to any meaningful increase in chum numbers in the THA’s.

SE Cove

Wednesday of last week it became apparent that there was a large buildup of chum in the SE Cove THA beyond the capacity of the processor to effectively manage. NSRAA worked with multiple processors to harvest a significant amount of chum on Saturday July 19^th. Additionally, a common property seine opening occurred on Sunday July 20^th and approximately 85,000 chum were harvested. Since the Sunday seine opener there has been a small build of chum and the THA will open to gillnet tomorrow, Friday July 24^th. After Friday the THA will again close until the remainder of cost recovery is completed. There continues to be high prevalence of SE Cove bound chum in the Kingsmill test fishery and SE Cove made up 54% on the 7/15 fishing date. We should have this week’s Kingsmill test fishery data available late Friday.

Hidden Falls

Last week Hidden Falls had a total return of approximately 350,000 fish and was the peak week for this year’s return. The weekly return was utilized for brood stock at 100,000 and with 250,000 utilized for cost recovery. Cost recovery efforts on Monday of this week was very poor with just over 100,000lbs harvested. Since Monday no additional cost recovery has occurred and there has been little buildup in Kasnyku Bay. Brood stock is at 80% secured and we will continue to monitor for cost recovery opportunities. Sunday’s area 112-16 chum sample indicated Hidden Falls returning chum made up 38% of sample. Area 112-11 along Catherine Island is open for seine today and we will be evaluating the volume and make up of that harvest to determine what may be still to come for Hidden Falls.

Deep Inlet

Returns to Deep Inlet and Bear Cove also drastically declined this week. Brood stock for Medvejie summer chum egg takes has been secured. Cost recovery efforts this week were disappointing after the significant progress made the last week. As with Hidden Falls last week was the peak week for summer chum return numbers to Deep Inlet and fish are not currently recruiting in any meaningful number to Deep Inlet.

Thomas Bay

As mentioned for all our other summer chum return sites, numbers harvested in Thomas Bay have declined from the previous week. Thomas Bay returns are now tracking below the low point of our pre-season forecast. Thomas Bay remains open to common property with limited effort due to volume of fish currently returning.

Coho

One potential bright spot in returns are the early season interception of NSRAA released coho. All NSRAA coho sites seem to be tracking ahead of recent years in numbers by this date. It is particularly encouraging to see the Hidden Falls coho currently leading the NSRAA produced portion of the sport and troll harvest with over 2,500 fish accounted for so far. Hidden Falls coho returns have been very poor for quite a few years and a strong return to the site would be great to see. For the Sitka area the Deep Inlet released portion of our coho production is also performing much better than recent years and harvest to date is 4 times the Bear Cove released coho group.