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Overview of the Nushagak-Mulchatna Chinook Salmon Fisheries With OVERVIEW OF THE NUSHA4G.4I;->1ULCH-.CHINOOK SALhlOK FISHERIES. WTH EblPHXIS ON THE SPORT FISHERY REPORT TO THE AL.ASK4 BO-ARD OF FISHERIES Thomas E. Brookover, Commercial Fisheries Management and Development Division R. E. Minard. Division of Sport Fish and Beverly A. Cross, Commercial Fisheries Management and Development Division Regional Informational Report' No. 2497-35 Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Commercial Fisheries, Central Region 333 Raspberry Road Anchorage, Alaska 995 18 October 1997 I The Regional information Repon Series was established in 1987 to provide m information access pnem for all unpublished divisional reports. These reports frequently serve diverse ad hoc informational purposes or archive basic uninterpreted data To accommodate timely reporting of recently collected information, reports in this series undergo only limited intemaI review and may contain preliminary data; this information may be subsequently finalized and published in the formal literature. Consequently, these reports should not be cited without prior approval of the authors or the Division of Commercial Fisheries. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game administers a11 programs and activities free from discrimination on the basis of sex, color, race, religion, national origin, age, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, or disability. For information on alternative formats available for this and other department publications, contact the department ADA Coordinator at (voice) 907-465-4120, or (TDD) 907-365-3646. Any person who believes she has been discriminated against should write to: ADF&G, PO Box 25526, Juneau, AK 99802-5526; or O.E.O., US. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF T.-\BLES ........................................................................................................................................................ ii LIST OF FIGL'RES ...................................................................................................................................................... 11 fiTRODLCTION ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 BIOLOGIC.\L ESCXPEMENT GOAL (BEG) ANALYSIS ........................................................................................I Spa~vntr-RerurnAnalysis .............................................................................................................................................. 1 Yield .\nal]isis ...............................................................................................................................................................j Escapement Quality .......................................................................................................................................................5 Escapement Goal Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 13 OVERVIEW OF THE SPORT FISHERY .................................................................................................................. 13 Fishery Description ...................................................................................................................................................... 13 Historical Performance ................................................................................................................................................13 blanagement ................................................................................................................................................................13 SONAR PERFORVANCE .......................................................................................................................................... 11 MANAGEMENT PERFOLCUNCE LWDER THE NUSmGAK-MULCHAT3.A CHIXOOK SALhION .C LANAGEMENT PLAN .............................................................................................................................................15 Commercial Fishery ..................................................................................................................................................... 15 Sport Fishery ................................................................................................................................................................ 15 Subsistence Fishery ..................................................................................................................................................... 16 SUMMARY OF THE 1997 FISHERIES ....................................................................................................................!7 Outlook ........................................................................................................................................................................17 Inseason Management ................................................................................................................................................. IS ISSUES AFFECTING SPORT FISH MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................. 19 LITERITLRE CITED ................................................................................................................................................1 LIST OF T-JIBLES Table Page I. Chincok salinon con~ercial,subsis:ence. and spon hmest. plus escapement and cotd run for die Nushagak drainage, 1966- 1977. ..... .. ........ .. ............ .. ............. ... ...... .. .. .. .. .. ..... .. ....... .. ... .. .. .... .. ...... .... .......... 3 2. Nushagsk Ricer chinook salmon spawners 2nd reruns by brood year. 1959- I960 ........................................ 6 3. Summap of estimated nmbers of chook salmon spawners required for high susuined yields for he Nushagak River. ............................................................................................................................................ 10 1. hse composition of shook salmon spawners grouped into nvo categories. age-3 and age4 versus age- 5 diorough age-:. Nushagak River 198 1- 1997............................................................................................... 1 1 5. Sport fish management performance under ihr Nushagak-MuIchama Chinook Salmon Management Plan. 1993- 1997. ....................................................................................................................................... 16 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page Nusnagsk and Mulchama River drainages. Bristol Bay. ................................................................................. 7 Graphic depiction of :he Nushagak-bluichama Chinook Salmon Xanagement Plan. ....................................1 Number oi spawners and total return of Nushagak Rver chmook salmon by brood year, 1966-1991. ...........7 Rerurn per spawner of Nushagak River chinook salmon versus number of spawners, 1966-1991 brood years. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. ... .. , . .. ., . , . .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .8 Total rerum of Nushagak River chinook salmon versus number of spawners, 1966-1991 brood years. ..........9 Ricker spawner-reciuitrnent relationship of Nushagak River chinook salmon, 1966- 199 1 brood years. ..... 10 Average surplus yield categorized by number of spawners of Nushagak River chinook salmon, 1966- 199 1 brocd years. .............. ... ... .... ..... .............. ........ ............... ................ ................................... 1 1 Percecrage of age 34 and age 5-7 chinook salmon in Nushagak River spawning escapements, 1981- 1985 i~~d1981-1997" ..................................................................................................................................... 13 Inriver runs of Nushagak River c,hinook salmon versus inriver run goal, 1986-1997. ...................................17 INTRODUCTION The Xushagak River drains an extensive portion of [he Bristol Bay watershed and empties into Nushagak Bay. near Dillingham (Figure 1). The Nushagak Riier is the largest producer of chincok salmon in Bristol Bay. Since 1966. rerurns of chinook salmon ranged from 11,000 to -? - -:6.000 fish. but most (75 S j were between 100.000 and 100.000 chinook (Table I). During the period 1978 through 1983. a period of record rerurns (average 288.500 chinook salmon) occurred. From 1986 to 1990. run sizes were low (average 106.000) but since 1991. run size has increased. Chinook salmon stocks in the Xushagak-Mulchatna drainage are presently considered to be stable at average levels. Peak production in the early 1980s resulted in record commercial harvests and development of a growing sport fishery. Declininz run sizes and the question of how to share the burden of conservation among users precipitated the development of a management plan for Nushagak chinook salmon. Since 1993, management of the Nushagak chinook salmon fisheries has been -governed by the Nushagak-Mulchatna Chinook Salmon Management Plan (NCSMP) (5 AX 06.361). adopted by the Alaska Board of Fisheries in January 1992, and amended in January of 1995. The purpose of this management plan is to ensure an adequate spawning escapement of chinook salmon inro the Nushagak-?iIulchatna kver system. The plan directs the department to manage the commercial fishery for an inriver run goal of 75,000 chinook salmon past the sonar site at Portage Creek. The inriver goal provides for: (1) a biological
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