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August 25th-Deep Inlet to reopen Tuesday August 26th - Cost recovery has been completed for Deep Inlet. The Deep Inlet THA will reopen starting Tuesday with the following rotation for this week(stat wk 35)-Tuesday-Troll, Wednesday-seine, Thur/Fri-gillnet, Saturday seine. Next week the Deep Inlet rotation will revert to the regular schedule of Sunday-seine, Mon-Wed-gillnet, Thur/Fri-seine and Saturday-troll. The ADFG announcement should be out shortly.
August 22-Deep Inlet Cost Recovery Progress Update - Based upon Friday morning Deep Inlet cost recovery progress, a Deep Inlet reopening announcement will not be issued at this time. At current harvest rates it is unlikely our cost recovery goal will be met by end of day Saturday. The next potential reopening announcement has been pushed back to Monday, August 25th and will […]
Return Update-August 19th - Deep Inlet Last week a total of 276,000 chum salmon returned to Deep Inlet. The majority of the harvest, 156,000, occurred in the pink salmon seine fishery in Eastern Channel. Troll harvest in Sitka Sounds also increased last week with approximately 60,000 chum harvested by 67 troll permit holders. An additional 35,000 chum were harvested […]Deep Inlet Chum Building Slow
The survey of Deep Inlet was not encouraging yesterday. There was no major build up of chum at the head end or even in Aleutkina Bay as had been observed by a fisherman the previous day.
Eggtakes at Medvejie continue at a moderate pace with 1.5 million taken yesterday for a total of 9 million eggs. I expect after the big rain event predicted for today that the fish will begin pushing hard Saturday.
Aerial observations of Silver Bay yesterday revealed slightly lower numbers of chum than reported the day before. It could be the fish were down deep or perhaps moved. Nevertheless, schools of chum were seen throughout the bay, including the ‘cave’ and Sugarloaf. The Silver Bay estimate is between 50,000 and 60,000.
The plan is to continue observations and have the F/V Kalliste take a look at Deep Inlet on Saturday.
Medvejie/Deep Inlet Update – August 28
7.5 million chum eggs taken at Medvejie through 27 August. Chum broodstock is beginning to pull in closer to Bear Cove with ~5,000 fish at the bottom of the ladder last night. 60,000 fish are estimated in Silver Bay and Bear Cove combined. These fish are scattered throughout with large concentrations in Bear Cove, off hydro effluent of Green Lake, and along the north shore between Green Lake and Bear Cove.
Deep Inlet also has some decent size schools of chum in the outer part of the THA. We will be assessing Deep Inlet today with the hope of collecting broodstock on Friday or Saturday. If we can get 20,000 to 30,000 we will tow the pens to Bear Cove and announce the reopening schedule. Right now, that is still a big IF.
Sex ratio at the rack yesterday was 62% male, not surprising at this early date in the spawning window.
Deep Inlet Broodstock Capture August 26
Efforts to capture broodstock at Deep Inlet were unsuccessful. Several sets were made, but only 500 chum were caught and rolled into net pens. It appeared there were few fish at the head of the inlet but we wanted to give it a try. There continue to be chum outside of Deep Inlet and scattered fish inside Deep Inlet but not in concentrations that are meaningful at this time.
We will continue to monitor and will capture the fish when given an opportunity. Egg takes continue today.
Deep Inlet/Medvejie Update August 26
Total eggtake is 5.5 million through yesterday. Broodstock numbers have not changed much at Medvejie. Most of the fish are in large schools but not pushing the fish ladder. There are many chum scattered in Bear Cove and out into Silver Bay. Estimate in the area is still about 40,000.
Scott and crew are headed out to Deep Inlet this morning with purse seiner Carlos on F/V Kalliste. If sufficient chum are present they will capture and roll into pens.
Reports continue to come in that there are large schools of chum around in Sitka Sound.
Medvejie Broodstock – Improving but not Secure, Yet
Eggtakes began Saturday and continued Sunday with a total of 5 million chum eggs. The broodstock picture is improving but not yet secure. The estimate for Medvejie/Bear Cove is 35,000 fish with another 25,000 around the corner at the outfall of the Green Lake dam in Silver Bay (these will likely come around to Medvejie). Deep Inlet fish are still scattered through the THA but no large schools at the head end.
It appears the chum coming into Deep Inlet continue to ‘visit’ and swirl back out to Eastern Channel. Troll and sport charter reports are very good with observations of thousands of chum in the Makhnati area and further out. They report a mix of sizes and conditions from bright to very dark, large males. The good news about our observations and analysis is that the fish we need for broodstock are here; what is frustrating is that the fish are not in any one place where we can efficiently collect them. I expect on the low end 100,000 left in the run; on the high end 250,000. Until we get the total 90,000 chum goal at Medvejie or in net pens we cannot risk opening the fisheries. The netpens are at Deep Inlet, we have a purse seine boat ready to go, and as soon as we have an opportunity we will secure the balance of what we need.
Warm water temperatures may be a factor in the fish not collecting at the head of Deep Inlet. The cooler, more voluminous waters of Medvejie and Green Lake dumping into Silver Bay may present conditions more favorable to holding the chum there. The modest storm we had Sunday seemed to help move the fish around and we expect to see further improvement today.
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