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·-·- 1983 ANNUAL SPORT BULLETIN
August 1984
SALMJNID HEAD RECOVERY PRCGRAM
SUsaTJ. Carruthers
Jo-Anne Collins
Lori Eder Maureen Holmas
Lee Koza
Fisheries and Oceau -1+ Canada INI'RODUCTION
The Canadian catch Sarrpling and Mark Recovery Program {MRP) was initiated in 1973 in response to an American request for Canadian participation in a Colurrbia River hatchery evaluation program. In British Colurrbia, it began with the fin mark recovery of chinook and coho salm::m within Georgia Strait and gradually expanded to becare a coast-wide operation that also included sarrpling of steelhead and selected groups of sockeye, pink and chum.
Both Canadian and American biologists use the technique of mark recovery to mark and release into the wild a known nurrber of individuals in a representative group. A sarrple is taken from the fishery after a period allowing the marked population to be distributed arrongst the unmarked population. Using the proportion of marked individuals in the sarrple and the knCMrl total catch size, an estimate of the total number of marks caught can be made.
The tag recovery inforrration provided by f isherrren helps fisheries managers to produce stronger sa.lrronid stocks by: 1. Assessing stock distribution, timing, and migration patterns. 2. Tuproving hatchery techniques involving rearing density, diet, size, time, and place of release. 3. Identifying potential enhancement areas for future research. 4. Ensuring that productive streams, in predominantly adult or trophy catch areas, are conserved. Enhancing stocks which can be identified as remaining resident in specific areas increases the nurrbers available to f isherrren. 5. Irrproving salmonid aging criteria. 6. Irrproving the managerrent of comrercial and sport fisheries. With mark recovery inforrration, fisheries managers can better regulate the harvest by all gears, declaring openings and closures, adjusting eateries for adequate spawning escapement, and identifying corrplex mixed stocks for future enhancerrent. 7. Analyzing the contribution of Canadian and United States stocks to each others fisheries. Interception rates are irrportant for too negotiation and L!plementation of Canada/United States interception treaties.
The success of the tagging programs depends on the co-operation of corrrrercial and sport fisherrren, shoreworkers, and interested volunteers in returning tags prooptly with accurate catch information.
FISH TAGGING
The five species of Pacific salrron, steelhead, halibut, and crabs are arrong the many marine animals which have been the subjects of tagging projects throughout British Columbia. They are marked so they can later be identified individually or as representing a larger group.
Marks may be internal or external. External marks are easily identified. They include cutting various corrbinations of fins, attaching plastic tags, branding, and tattooing. Radio telerretry tags, o::xled-wire tags, and chemical tracers are exarrples of internal tags. Internal tags may be used in conjunction with external marks, as in the case of the adipose fin-clip and the coded-wire tag (CWT). The rrethod of marking used depends on the size and age of the fish, the funding available, and new experimental ideas.
- l - External Marking
A. Fin Clips Dorsal
Caudal Pectoral
Figure 1
The adipose fin-clip is the most widely used fin-clip. It is used as a visual indicator of the CWf. Mutiple fin-clips L'lvolve the clipping of rrore than one fin and sarrplers must check all fins for their presence or absence (Figure 1). Since there are only a few cor00inations of fin-clips possible, the same corrbination rray be used on different species or i..ri different years. Scales are used to confirm the species and to age the fish in order to determine from which experimental group the recovered fin-mark coni:>ination originated. An eY..arrple of a fin-clip study involves 396,000 adipose/left pectoral clipped chum released from Rosewall Creek fa1 1979. These 1978 brood chum were tagged to assess the Japanese style hatchery. Twelve of these fish were recovered i..ri a seine fishe.i..--y off Big Qualicum in November 1983. Nilleteen of these fish were recoVBred ill the 1981 seine and gillnet fisheries and 412 in the 1982 fisheries.
Some anglers have mistaken a rriissing pectoral fin for a study mark. This clip is not generally used since hatchery coho fry frequently lose this fin while swirrming continuously around a concrete pond. 0-aly when this fin is used in conjuction with another fin-clip should it be considered e.s a multiple fm-clip. Sport anglers should only watch for the adipose fin-clip, as it alone signals the presence of a ONr. Multiple fin-clip sarrplmg is not requested from the sport fishery.
B. Plastic Tags
Plastic tags come in many shapes and colours; the two rrost comronly used bemg the Petersen disc tag (A} and the Floy or Spaghetti tag (B) (Figure 2).
A.
Figure 2 Petersen discs are attached to the fish using a steel pin that passes through the flesh just below the dorsal fin or on the gill cover. The pin is anchored with another plastic disc referred to as a baffle. · Due to the large size of the pins and discs, this tag is used only on adult fish. Floy or spaghetti tags are irOOedded in the flesh with a plastic anchor similar to that used to attach price tags to clothing. This tag can be used on juvenile fish and has also been used on crabs.
1983 was the second year of the International Salm::mid Tagging Program ( ISTP) , a joint U. s. /Canada project. This tagging program was Ui.'1dertaken to estimate the interception rates of southeastern Alaska and northern B.C. sockeye stocks by Alaskan and Canadian fishermen, as well as to record information on migration paths, timing, and escapement. Over 23,000 sockeye were tagged with bright_ red Petersen disc tags. In addition, 5,700 chum, 770 chinook and 35 steelhead caught incidentally were tagged. ·
Voluntary returns of tags by fisherrren, plus recovery of tags during sarrpling of the catch and escapement, are expected to exceed 8,500 tags in Canada alone, with reported reCJveries from Prince William Sound to the Fraser River. Tags retw.--ned by fishermen who also recorded recovery information were entered in tb..ree lotteries.
During 1983, an alternative type of tag was tried. This tag, an orange plastic tube approximately one foot long, was applied to 300 sockeye, alternating the application of a tie-on tag with the application of a Petersen disc. Recoveries from catch sarrpling and at the Babine Lake weir indicate that this alternative tag has a recovery rate three times that of a Petersen disc tag, with 75% of the applied tags recovered. Significantly, this new tag does not damage nets and is not pulled out by the gilJnets, as occurs with Petersen discs. In 1984, it will be the only type of tag used by the Canadian portion of the ISTP.
other tagging projects in 1983 involved sockeye in the Nirrpkish estuary, mixed species in Knight Inlet and Burke Channel, chum in the Mission area, chinook in the Tete Jaune River, and coho in the Chilliwack, SaL.'IDn, and Upper Pitt Rivers. Unnumbered baffles ~re applied in several areas along th...e coast. These projects were undertaken to determine escapement estimates and do not require returns from fishermen.
C. Branding and Tattooing
Branding and tattooing may be done on either adult or juvenile fish and are not widely used as they may be confused with natural marks on the fish.
Branding uses liquid nitrogen or dry ice to cool the brand, which is then applied to the fish. Alcohol is used to heal and set the mark. Tattooing is done using a device called a jet inoculator to inject dyes below the skin surface. Marking is done on the fins, the base of the tail, or on the lower body since those areas are usually lighter in colour, and the marks will be more easily contrasted.
Internal Marks
A. Coded Wire Tags
The rrost popular type of internal tag is the coded wire tag (CWT) • This tag is a 1 rrm long piece of stainless steel wire etched with four rows of lines on its surface (Figure 3). These lines, when viewed under a microscope, represent a binary code, which is the key to information on the fish (ie. hatchery, brood year). In excess of 256,000 different release codes are possible. A shorter tag, .5rrrn in length, is used on species such as pink and chum, which are too small as fry for the
- 3 - i.rrplantation of the full length tag. The data for all releases on the Pacific Coast are corrpiled in a reference book and indexed by the code on the tag.
Figure 3
About 25 million hatchery and wild stocks are tagged each year by California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, British Colurrbia, and Ala.ska. To insert the tag, the fish is anesthetized and the tag injected into its nose cartilage with a tagging ma.chine (Figure 4). The adipose fin is clipped off as a visual identifier.
Figure 4
Besides the binary coded-wire tag, there are colour-coded and rare-earth elerrent wire tags. These tags are similar to tr.e coded-wire tag, but are coated with strips of coloured paint or rare-earth metals. D..::ie to problems in decoding these tags, they are not used so extensively as the coded-wire tag. New technology is developing an X-ray readable tag which can be read with.out killing the fish or ;i::-erroving the tag. This tag is being tested on Colurrbia River chinook to track their migration through the various dams.
B. Radio Telemetry
The following is an article provided by the International Pacific Salm::m Fisheries Cormri.ssion, the organization responsible for the managerrent and conservation of Fraser River sockeye and pink salm::m stocks. T"ne corrmission is required to divide the allowable catch of the two species in the convention area (the waters of Georgia Strait and Juon de Fuca St-rait below the 49th parallel) equally between Canadian and American fishing sectors.
Radio telemetry is a useful method for investigation of specific fish behavior problems or questions in which large statistically significant sarrples are less irrportant than general information about patterns of rroverrent in time or space in relation to certain physical features or events. This technique usually involves i.rrplanting a miniature radio transmitter in a fish and tracking its rrovements using special radio receivers and directional antennae. A recent successful application of radio telerretry to solve a fisheries problem was in the study of the behavior of sockeye saL.-ron at the Seton Creek hydroelectric generating station in the Fraser River system near Lillooet. Mi.gr:-ating sockeye
- 4 - salm::m, returning to spawn in the Seton-Anderson lake system, were attracted to too discharge of their homestream water at the powerhouse where they delayed for long periods of ti.Ire and where some of the population TNere killed. Fish migrating past the powerhouse frequently failed to proceed up Seton Creek to a fishway designed to allow them to pass over the diversion dam into their horIE lake system. When researchers .irrplanted radio trarism:i.tters into the fish it was discovered that the fish were not attracted to Seton Creek because it contained a lower concentration of the attractive homestream water due to the dilution by a tributary stream. A relatively s.irrple solution was developed to divert the tributary stream into Seton Lake. The result was that the saJ.m:ms' homestream odor was no longer detectably stronger in the powerhouse outflow than in Seton Creek and, therefore, fish entering Seton Creek continued migrating upstream to Seton Dam, through the f ishway and on to their spawning grounds beyond Seton Lake. Radio telemetry is.also used to study the migratory behaviour of salrron to anticipate the effects of projects that might alter the riverbanks near which the fish swim to avoid higher mid-stream velocities. The double tracking of the CN railway is expected to encroach upon numerous locations along the 'I'horrpson and Fraser rivers. The potential effects of this and means of reducing the .irrpact on migrating salm::m have been investigated utilizing radio telemetry. Similar studies are planned to examine ti~ effeet of the Annacis Bridge, now is under construction, which will substantially reduce the width of the rrain channel of the Fraser River near New Westminster.
Radio telemetry was also used to determine the tiJni.ng of chinook passage through the Fraser River·gillnet fishery. Radio tagging showed that fish took four days to migrate from area 29A, outside the lightship, through to 29D, the Mission Bridge. Fisheries in the area, therefore, should be at least four days apart to allow fish present in area 29A to pass area 29D. Otherwise, the fish will be subjected to fishing pressure throughout their passage, allowing too few to escape.
Radio tagging also showed that steelhead regularly enter freshwater rruch in advance of their spawning time, with irrplications to the freshwater fisheries.
Natural Marks
Natural marks are sometimes used for the identification of distinctive stocks. Scales, for exarrple, h..ave patterns similar to that of tree rings. Well defined patterns are forrred, where spacing depends on water tercperature, food quality, and species of fish. These patterns can be traced to specific river systems and can also indicate the age of the fish and how long it resided in fresh and salt water.
Another exanple of a natural mark is parasites. Certain types of parasites occur only in specific areas. They infect fish fry and persist in the intestines, brain, rruscle tissue, or gills of the adults. When the adults die after spawning, the parasites are passed on to the next generation. Through identification of the parasite, the origin of the adult may be determined. T'ne use of parasites is a reliable management tool in the Barkley Sound sockeye fishery, \\7here fish from nearby Sproat, Henderson, and Great Central lakes can be identified by two different parasites.
ca+iERICIAL SAMPLING
5arrt>lir1g of the corrrnercial catch by the Mark Recovery Program began in 1974. The goal of the MRP is to sarrple a representative 20% of the chinook, coho, and steel.he~ caught in all fisheries throughout the corrrnercial season. 8arrplers are stationed at' fish plants in Vancouver, Steveston, Namu, Victoria, Tof ino, Ucluelet, Port Hardy,
- 5 - and Prince Rupert. In 1983 cartpbell River was added as a sarrpling location. Sarrpling effort has also been directed at selected fisheries anticipated to contain coded wire tagged chum, pink and sockeye (ie. Barkley Sound sockeye fishery).
During sanpling, sal..rIDnids from individual boats are counted and carefully checked for missing adipose fins. The "ad-only• fish are rerroved, their length and weight recorded, and scale sarrples taken. The catch data and biological informa.tion are recorded and a plastic numbered disc is attached to the head as a reference. The head is rennved and sent to the dissection laboratory where the coded-wire tag is rerroved. The decoded tag is then matched t~ the sarrple information.
Using the ratio of total nurrt:>ers caught (from sales slips) corrpared to the rnJrr'hers sarrpled, estimates of the contribution of eac..11 hatchery tag release group to the a:::mrercial fisrery, and the success of various experiments, can be made.
The 1983 Corrmarcial Season
1983 ~SAMPLE SIZES
Number of Fish Sarrpled and the Nurcber of Random •Mipose-Qnly• Recoveries
GEAR SPECIES NUMBER AD-ONLY 1983 MARK 1982 MARK SAMPLED RECOVERIES INCIDENCE INCIDENCE
troll chinook 126,741 3,639 2.9 2.2 coho 497,469 8,983 1.8 2.0 steelhead 140 7 5.0 5.6 chum 2,066 0 TOTAL 626,416 12,629 2.0 2.1
net chinook 58,534 1,842 3.1 3.1 coho 145,842 3,001 2.1 2.2 steelhead 5,223 324 6.2 1.5 chum 54,953 231 0.4 0.1 TOTAL 264,552 5,398 2.0 Ll
GRAND TOTAL 890,968 18,027* 2.0 1.6
*an additional 1,122 select heads were recovered. These refer to heads not directly sanpled by DFO personnel (ie those recovered by cannery personnel).
Table 1
The 1983 fishing season was unusual. The El Nino phenorrenon, bringing highar than normal surface water terrperatures, may have affected the distribution, migratory patterns, and ultimately the catch of salrron, particularly chinook, pink, and sockeye. Chinook appeared to extend their migration route northward, with rrore California fish recovered than usual. Chinook catchas were low in Georgia Strait and off the west coast of Vancouver Island.
- 6 - Sockeye and pink salm:>n again used Johnstone Strait as their major migration route to the Fraser River, rather than their usual route through Juan de Fuca Strait. The average annual diversion of sockeye through Johnstone Strait is 16% (1952-1977). Since 1978 the diversion rate has increased so that an average of 55% of the Fraser sockeye stocks have migrated through Johnstone Strait. In 1983, the diversion rate was unprecedented at approximately 85%. Sixty-four percent of the total pink run also approached the Fraser River through Johnstone Strait. Coastwide, sockeye fisheries were average, with good fisheries occurring at Barkley Sound, Joh.TIBtone Strait, and the Nass River. Disappointrrents -were experienced in Juan de Fuca Strait, the central coast, and the Fraser River fisheries. Record pink catches occurred in Area 3, with catches exceeding six million pieces. Johnstone Strait sockeye and pink net catches were also large, at 1,900,000 and 5,063,000 fish respectively. Trollers -were very efficient, catching an estimated 2,300,000 pinks in the south coast.
Coho catches were also above average, potentially in response to the pronounced oceanographic conditions. Although catch reductions were encountered in Georgia and Johnstone straits, record catches of coho off the west coast of Vancouver Island (2.4 million) resulted in an overall coastwide increase. Chum fisheries were negligible with the exception of returns to Bella Coola and Qualicum rivers. The Fraser River stocks "Were particularly disappointing, resulting in no Johnstone Strait or termina.l river net fisheries.
Sarrpling operations were affected in that the program encountered a reduced nurrrer of recoveries, a function of reduced catches and a slight reduction in coho mark incidence. Chinook recoveries, for exarrple, nurrbered 6812 marks in 1982 but only 5481 in 1983. Recoveries of steelhead and chum did, h.a.>iever, increase significantly. Robertson Creek Hatchery steelhead in Barkley Sound -were especially abundant. At t.irres there we.re rrore steelhead than chinook recoveries, with a high incidence of marks. These steelhead were especially noticeable in directed sockeye fisheries, as steelhead have a similiar migration timing as s~ye. Chum from an Alaskan aquaculture operation in Nakat Inlet were intercepted in B.C. (Statistical Area 3 net fisheries) and accounted for the i.."1crease in 1983 chum recoveries.
SPORI' PROGRAM
What !!appens When a Sport Fisherman Turns in a Head
When a sport fisherman recovers an adipose-clipped salm:>nid, the head can be turned into any of 171 depots throughout B.C. For a list of those depots, please contact 666-6383 (collect) in Vancouver or contact your nearest Fisheries Office. At the depots, a label rrust be filled out in pencil and tied to the jaw of the fish, each head with its own label.
Not only is the catch information irrportant, but the angler's ndme, address and telephone nurrber rrust be clearly legible in order for replies to be mailed out and narres entered in the prize draw. Please use pencil and print clearly as the r..eads are usually stored in formaldehyde which dissolves pen ink. If the information is unreadable or inconplete, processing ti.me is slow or irrpossible, rendering the data useless.
- 7 - TIE LABEL PE:'llCIL TO JAW O~LY! Please Fill Out Both Sides of Label " H 183350 ~'.;.~~H~SH C8£ E. f'"'H.li >4£.
DAY ~Q"---,-~-,------,- D, TE F1SH "
S"LT \'-ATER SPORT El T't PE OF FRESH \\ "TER SPORT ~ CATCH: ~ CQ\!\.1ERCIAL SET ::J CQ\.!\.1ERC!AL TROLL CJ
CH!,OOK :gi SPECIES. COHO 1:J STEELHE.4.0 ::J 1.)THER ,J?CC!FYl ___
~PPR.OX LE'GTH ~ =--"....,.--- ?HO'E 555 - tel34- • PRL'\T CLEARLY: TH.IS lS )01...R RETCR!'-: ~ODRESS L.-'BEL
""A'-'E:JoE A. FlSHE.RrnAt-{ .•DDRESS I 08. A !'<\A IN -s:r. CITY \(ANCCMV C.f?, PROV ., c CODEY 3:3" Sx.~ "'~-~::-:.::~.~~"'~ H 183350
Figure 5
During the sumrer m::mths, the heads are picked up every two ~, during a circuit made of all the depots south of Cape caution. Pickup is less frequent during the winter. Depots north of Cape caution rely on DFO officers and MRP comrercial sarrplers to forward the heads to Vancouver. The depot is an irrportant link be~n the Department of Fisheries and the fisherm:m, providing anglers with regulations and information and passing f ishenren' s caments on to the departrrent.
SPORI' DEPCYI' RECOVERIFS
GENERAL AREA # DEPCYI'S # HEADS AVERAGE# IN 1983 REC'OVERED HEAD/DF.PC!r 1982 1983
Greater Vancouver & Fraser Valley 23 294 921 40 North Vancouver to ~ Sound 14 669 787 56 SUnshine Coast 16 966 1660 104 Sooke & Victoria 12 391 628 52 Sout..'lern Gulf Islands 29 1331 1693 58 Vancouver Is-Saanich to Canpbell R 29 2128 3232 111 Vancouver Is-cartt:>bell R (incl) & North 32 1602 1481 46 West Coast Vancouver Island 10 142 149 15 North Coast V.ainland 6 72 112 19
TOI'AL 171 7595*10663 62
* an additional 187 heads were turned in by depots who did not continue to participate LD 1983.
Table 2 Three new depots have been set up in the Departrrent of Fisheries and Oceans offices in Masset, Sandspit, Queen Charlotte City and Bella Bella to equalize the distribution of North-South data. Milnly freshwater recoveries will be expected from those areas as a result of the location of the Pallant Creek and Mathers Creek hatcheries.
After being collected from the depots, the heads are delivered to the North Vancouver Laboratory where they are dissected and the CWT decoded. The label and accorrpanying CWT are sent to 1090 W. Pender, Vancouver for data processing. After data entries have been conpleted, the prize draw is held, and a mailing list is set up. Each fisherman receives a MRP button and infonnation on his marked fish.
A new corrputer system is being set up for 1984. The system will make data entry rrore efficient, saving rroney and time. With the new system, letters to fishe:rrren should be sent out rrore prorcptly.
Sport Prize Draw
There are eight prize periods throughout the year. Each prize period consists of: for the fisherman - 1 x $500 prize 6 x $ 50 prizes for the depot - 1 x $100 prize 2 x $ 50 prizes
Depots prizes are awarded to the depots issuing the first three winning labels. The winners are drawn and announced on the '"Ted Peck Show" , radio CKWX, Vancouver. Interesting topics, referring to fishing patterns noted during the prize period, are also discussed during these broadcasts.
"NJ-Pins", heads found not to contain a CWT, are not entered into the prize draw since we cannot verify that the heads actually carre from marked fish. Such salrronids may be among the 10-15% of the adipose-clipped salmonids that reject tags, nuch the way human flesh saret.irres rejects a splinter. In rare occurrances, fish naturally lack the adipose fin.
Fisheries errployees and depot operators are ineligible for the draws. The winners are contacted by phone or mail and must answer a skill testing question.
In 1983, 82% (42) of the winners were B.C. residents (96% in 1982, 84% in 1981, and 73% i...Tl 1980) • Fourteen percent of the winners were U.S. visitors ( 7 California and 1 Washington resident) • The other tv.io winners ( 4%) were Alberta residents.
The Sport Logbook Program
The Sport Logbook Program began in 1973 as part of the Georgia Strait Head Recovery Program. The primary objective of the program was to obtain estimates of the incidence of adipose-clipped coho &"ld chlnook in the Georgia Strait sport catch. Corrbined with sport fishing catch statistics and voluntary returns of heads from adipose-clipped sa..lm:mids, the incidence of marked fish v.iould be used to estimate the contributions of taggBd stocks to the sport fishery.
After ten years of collecting data, the Sport Logbook Program has fulfilled its purpose and is being discontinued. Initial results, corrpiled from data collected from 1974 to 1977, showed that previous estimates of the total number of chinook ai."ld coho caught in the sport fishery -wiere inaccurate. The incidence of adipose marks provided by logbook f isherrren had been used by hatchery biologists in evaluating
- 9 - hatchery stocks and had been coopared to the mark incidence found in corrmercial catches and in creel surveys (sport catch interviews) •
Now that mark incidence bas been examined, new programs are being developed. These programs are atterrpting to refine and .irrprove the estimates of total sport catch. The major programs currently in progress are a Georgia Strait Creel Survey (operating since 1980) and the Tidal Diary Program (initiated in 1979) . The Tidal Diary Program is similar in format to the Sport LogbcxJk Program, but its participar1ts are recruited randomly from the list of sport fishing licence holders.
We wish to thank all participants for their t.irre and co-operation in collecting logbook data. Their help bas been invaluable in assessing techniques used in the sport fisheries and in planning policies to benefit both the fish and the fisherrran.
In 1983, there were 87 active participants. Nineteen participants were new recruits.
- 10 - 1983 ANNUAL RESULTS
In 1982 sport recoveries of chinook showed a substantial increase while coho recoveries dropped considerably. In 1983 there was an increase in recoveries of both chinook and coho. That increase may be due to increased awareness of the Mark Recovery ProgJ:"am in Georgia Strait. Tag incidence may also explain fluctuations in recovery rates (Figure 1) •
SPORT RECOUERIES
N 11v I (X 1,000) M !2-1- 8 E 10 ;//\, R ro ~ 8 \ 0 COHO F 6 \ \/ s--- r H ' '"1!) E 4 ' CHINOOK A ~ [I 2 ~~ Figure 1 In 1983, 12% of the heads recovered did not reveal coded wire tag data. The majority of these heads 1NeI'e NO-PINs, rreaning that no coded wire tag was found during dissection. Being only lmn. long, coded wire tags are easily lost. The LOST-PIN rate (due to hurren error) for 1983 averaged 1%. 1983 RECOVERIE.5 SPECIES # HEADS TURNED IN # TAGS YIELDED Chinook 2,920 2,572 (88%) Coho 7,204 6,338 (88%} steelhead 439 372 (85%) 10,563 9,282 (88%) Of the coded wire tags recovered this year, 92% were of Canadian origin. M::>st of the remaining tags 1NeI'e from Washington State hatcheries • Less than 1% were from the other states (Oregon with 53 tags recovered, California with 5 recoveries, and Alaska and IdahJ with one tag each). Statistical Area 20 had the greatest variety of - 11 - GOVERNMENT OF CANADA ,....__._ ..._~p _... FISHERIES AND OCEANS .... •I""'°' ...:-'tTtll °"'T'l!Gt Ol- •ooa>' S ~ ~- >'>C ~ Q.6CI u=it STATISTICAL MAP 'S~ .llr.R'£AS Ct' CAT04 '1)111 Sl'IT?SW COL~ WdAT(lltS C~ ..W..FJ ---~ .. ~..... ca. __ ,"""~ _.a., ) -0- 1 9 -· ~1..·v(•~ .o,p CA>TOo "'"" ...... - 30 """'l: - _..,.. =- ...... 111 ~ foot: .&A;l• • -c.- •Ol,1111 •·5'>" •..a: :::.....-~ ""( ...... T' ~.A1C"" -C"'OW"'I ...... _ oo(1..• --.Z:U-..C - 12 - l'lrcerican tags recovered. The map on page 12 has been divided into four sport catch regions, as follows: - Georgia Strait (Statistical Areas 13-20, 28, 29) - West Coast of Vancouver Island (Statistical Areas 21-27) - North and Central Coast (Statistical Areas 1-12) - Freshwater Fishing Areas. Sport catch infonna.tion will be broken_down by these four regions and discussed in the following pages. A. OORI'H AND CEN1'RAL COASTS NORTH AND CENl'RAL COAST RECOVERIES IN 1983 Chinook SteeJ.head # Heads turned in 152 106 1 # OiJTs yielded 130 87 1 Canadian Origin 92% 85% 100% American Origin 8% 15% Table 2 Sport fishing patterns in 1983 were rruch the sarre as in 1982 for the north and central coasts. Fishing areas were rrostly situated around the populated areas (Prince Rupert, Kitima.t, Port Hardy and Port McNeill). The greatest percentage of tags were recovered from Statistical Area 12 ( 67%) • Possible explanations for the larger nuniJer of recoveries include a higher population density and a·greater nurrber of tagged fish in the area. Awareness of the Mark Recovery Program rray also be greater in Those areas. · According to the data for 1983, fish migrated from the south to the north and central coast, with the exception of chinook from the Kitimat Hatchery. those.chinook usually do not migrate far and tend to use the local inlets as rearing areas. Few southern hatchery coho migrated further than Statistical Area 12, while chinook originating from the sarre hatcheries migrated beyond Statistical Area 04. :Most of the tags recovered in the north and central coast originated from Quinsam Hatchery (36 recoveries-16%). Kitima.t and Puntledge hatcheries each contributed 26 recoveries (12%) and Capilano Hatchery contributed 25 recoveries ( 11%). All the American tags recovered were from Washington and Oregon, with Bonneville Hatchery in Oregon contributing the rrost, with four recoveries (16% of all American tags recovered in the North and Central Coast). - 13 - HORTH~CENTRAL COAST RECOUERIES 901 80 # CHINOOK=SOLID 71.1 R I - 60 CUHO=OUTL I ~·~E Ec 0 50 lJ 40 E R 30 E .....It 20 0 &...---+--- 1 -.. .- 2 :.~ 4 5 !_:, AGE Figure 2 A.s noted in Figure 2, two-year-old to six-year-old chinook were caught in the rbrth and Central Coast, although three-year-old fish were rrost prevalent. Only one four-year-old and one two-year-old coho were recovered. The remaining coho were all three-year-olds. B. WEST COA.ST VAOCOWER ISLAND WEST COA.ST VAOCOWER ISLAND RECOVERIES FOR 1983 Chinook Steelbead # Heads turned in 101 46 1 # c..wrs yielded 71 39 1 canadian origin 63% 79% 100% Arrerican origin 37% 21% Table 3 Approximately 85% of the total sport tags recovered off the West Coast of Vancouver Island originated from the Barkley Sound area (Statistical Area 23) a Robertson Creek Hatchery in Port Alberni {proximity of Barkley Sound) was the major - 14 - contributor of coded wire tagged sal.rIDnids. Of all the sport tag recoveries along the West Coast of Vancouver Island, 60% originated from Robertson Creek Hatchery. All sport tag recoveries of Canadian chinook occurred from July to October, while Arrerican tagged sport recoveries occurred from March to August. The recoveries reflect chinook migration patterns. The Arnarican tagged chinook were caught in the early rronths of the year, while Canadian tagged chinook were recovered later in the year, as they migrated south to their spawning grounds. Robertson Creek chinook were recovered in August and Septerrber, except for two late returns in October. Only four tag recoveries from that facility occurred during July. Tagged coho were recovered from January to September, with the peak season being July to September. Alrrost all coho sport tag recoveries along the west coast of Vancouver Island were 1980 brood fish from Robertson Creek (25), capilano River (3) and Quinsam River (2) (Figure 3). Only one 1979 brood coho was recovered, originating from capilano Hatchery. N. COAST UANCOUUER IS. RECOUERIES 45 4f1 # CH I r·~OOK=SOL ID 35 R COHO=OUTL I t·~E E 30 c "=' C" 0 ::.-·-· u 20 E R 15 E D 10 5 ~j 1 2 ·-·7 4 AGE Figure 3 Return years for chinook varied considerably, with two-year-olds to five-year-olds recovered. Oller 40% of the chinook recovered were age four from Robertson Creek and Conuma River. The Conuma Riv~ recoveries were from a group of 76,640 tagged chinook released in the upper part of the Conuma. River to colonize it. Natural barriers such as log jarcs and waterfalls may prevent sal.rIDn from using good areas for spawning and juvenile rearing. Building fish ladders or rem:::>ving obstructions are methods used in upstream colonization, which allow the stocks to reach those areas. Releasing stock in the fry stage, from eggs taken at hatcheries, is another metb::>d of upstream colonization. Not only does it provide sal.rIDn with larger spawning grounds, it also can ultimately increase the stocks. - 15 - The one steelhead tag was recovered in May off Link Island in Barkley Sound (Statistical area 23). The fish originated from the opposite side of Vancouver Island in the Nana.:irro River. C. GEORGIA STRAIT AREA. GEORGIA STRAIT IN 1983 Chinook Steelhead. # Heads turned in 2,893 6,601 59 # CWTs yielded 2,337 5,786 53 canadian origin 80% 95% 100% American origin 20% 4% Table 4 Georgia Strait has the greatest fishing effort along the B.C. Coast. Of the total B.C. sport caught chinook and coho tags submitted in 1983, 91% ""Were recovered in Georgia Strait. That reflects high angler effort, greater awareness of the MRP and the large nurrrers of tagged fish released by the hatcheries of Georgia Strait tributaries. The Canadian hatcheries contributing the rnajority of the chinook tags in 1983 were at Capilano ( 30%) , Nana.im::> ( 13%) and Cherrainus ( 10%) . M:>st canadian coho tags recovered originated from Capilano ( 48%) , Chilliwack ( 24%) and Big Qualicum ( 9%) hatcheries. Although Quinsam and Puntledge hatcheries release rrany fall-run chinook, a relatively low percentage of them are recovered in Georgia Strait. Chinook tend to migrate north and roost of the tags are recovered in the l'brth and Central Coastal zones. The few tags recovered in the Georgia Strait originating from those hatcheries are rcostly norrrally mature fish (four-year-olds) returning to spawn. The trend is also exhibited by Qualicum chinook but not so dramatically, because of its central location within Georgia Strait. M:>st of the Amarican tagged chinook originated from the Samish River, Washington ( 38%) and rrost of the American tagged coho recoveries originated from the Nooksack River, Washington (also 38%). Both rivers are near too United States/canada border. It is interesting to note that Robertson Creek salm::m not only migrate up the west coast of Vancouver Island but also into Georgia Strait. There -were eight tags recovered there from Robertson Creek coho and four tags from Robertson Creek chi.nook. The chinook were caught in the southern part of Georgia Strait from June to September while the coho -were caught in the northern part from March to September. - 16 - GEORGIA STRAIT RECOUERIES 55tH3 5(1(10 #4500 C H I t·~ 0 0 K = '.'.:; 0 L I D R 40(H3 i-- I I T . ~-J I=" ~3500 -·-·n H·-n = n~-. L I ··- b30~30 U2500 R.:::.E .-. fi-- 1710 E1500 01000 500 0 '--~---' 1 2 ··-·7 4 5 Figure 4 Three-year-old coho were the roost predominant catch for 1983, with total tag recoveries of three-year-old coho exceeding 1982 levels by over 1,500 (Figure 4). A possible explanation is that there were rrore 1980 brood than 1979 brood coho tagged in Georgia Strait. Again, awareness of the M'ark Recovery Program as well as the angling effort may have resulted in the higher recovery rate. Of the five-year-old chinook tags recovered, 48% originated from Quinsam Hatchery and 23% came from Puntledge Hatchery. One was an Arrerican tag from the Elwha River in Washington. The remaining tags ~re from various Canadian hatcheries and wild tagged stocks. Only one six-year-old chinook tag, caught off of Ballenas Island, N::>rth of Nana.irro, was recovered in 1983. It came from a group of 1,319 tagged Capilano stock, released in False Creek in 1979. Statistical Area 14 yielded 35% of the total recoveries for Georgia Strait sport in 1983, exceeding recoveries from other areas by over 1, 000 (Figure 5) • That fact is directly related to the migratory distribution of marked coho. - 17 - GEORGift STRAIT SPORT RECOVERIES 2500 0--i-.11..l>-+...LL.+-A-...... -L.1.~L..L;+,-..L~~~~;:;;l...lc+;::L- 13 14 15· 16 1 7 18 19 20 28 29 '.3TAT I ST I CAL APEA Figure 5 M::>st four and five-year-old chinook -were recovered :in Statistical Area 13 and were mainly of capilano (33%) and Nanairro (27%) stocks (Figure 6), while two-year-old chinook recoveries were rrore prevalent :in Statistical Area 14 (Figure 7)o 4'5-VEAR-OLD CHINOOK • AREA 13 100 !" I 90 :30LID=AGE 4 I ~ c::- 80 SHADED==AGE ._! R 70 E 1 11111! c 60 11 I1 0 u 50 111 111 II Jiii E 40 I I R 30 I I E I 1 I I D 20 I I 10 1111111 1 0 Ir1 Iii lljlll w,m ·+·-111,111- j F M A M .J .J A ~; 0 t-~ D MOt~TH Figure 6 2-YEAR-OLD CHINOOK RECOUERIES 9~3 Bt1 # 1 7 Il '.::;OL I O=AF~EA ...... _1 I 70 I R .-.H,.~ .H._ nEo- -H... P'-.c.H ··· 14 E .:; (1 c u.-. 5~3 l) 40 E R 30 E 0 2~:::1 10 ij ··{-··-··!··-···~-·-··!·· ii! II L 111,111- M ,-. J F I I A M .J ._I A .::. 0 N 0 MOMTH Figure 7 Most of the four-year-old coho were recovered in Statistical Area 13 (June and July) and Statistical Area 14 (June and August) and originated from the Upper Pitt River and the Capilano River. Pitt River coho natv+.a,lly live to be four-year-olds as they spend an additional year (total of bolo) in freshwater because of the very low water tenperature, which retards their growth. Four-year-old Capilano coho are a result of delayed maturity caused by experi.rrentation. In Statistical Areas 16 and 17, tag recoveries occurred mainly in the early rronths (Statistical Area 16, April-July; and Statistical Area 17, January-April). Four, five-year-old sterilized Capilano stock coho were recovered in Statistical Area 18 (June), Statistical Area 14 (August and September) and Statistical Area 16 (July). Those fish were part of an experiment designed to eliminate their spawning instincts, thereby prolonging their ocean life in hopes that it would also allow further growth and extend the fishery into winter rronths. Coho sport recovery timing was similar to 1982, with the majority of the tags recovered from April to September. Although 1982 's peak returns were in July, returns in 1983 mainly occurred in June. Chinook returns were also similar to recoveries in 1982 with the peak season being August (Figures 8 & 9). Earlier recovery timing was a function of effort and tag availability. Area 14 supported strong fisheries in June, corrprising a large proportion of marks, particularly Capilano coho. - 19 - SPORT RECOUERIES - 1983 N2200 U2000 ~1800 E1600 R1400 01200 F1000 H 8e0 E 600 A 400 ~ 200 0 Ll.lllo--LI-..&...... IJlllll...L J F M A M J J A S 0 N 0 MO~HH COHO=SOLID CH I t·WOK=OUTL !HE Figure 8 SPORT RECOVERJES - 1992 r-~ 20t]Ol LI 18(1(1 M --- 8 l 61::HJ F.'Et4 1'-'.'.1~-71 .. 12(10 EF.: 1 n - ~-:1 - ~-:1 - .-:,=, :=:--- i::-1 ~-:-1 0 ,;0~1 E 400 F.: I I E 200 1 [I 0 I · _llll.i11__..11w11_ -~ ~' A S 0 M D MOHTH COHO (BLACK) CHINOOK Figure 9 Steelhead wrere caught throughout the year in Georgia Strait, with rrost recoveries occurring in Statistical Area 28 {57% of the total recoveries of steelhead for 1983). capilano contributed the rrost steelhead (30% of all tags recovered). Ages ranged from one-year-olds to five-year-olds. Listed below are the three favorite fishing (tag recovery) locations reported during 1983 for each statistical area. Percentages are given for the total number recovered by location for each statistical area (see map on page 12) • Unknown locations are not included. Chinook: Statistical Area 13 33% Carrpbell River 10% Stuart Island 8% ~ Mudge Statistical Area 14 12% French Creek 8% Norris Rock 7% Bates Beach & Qualicum Beach Statistical Area 15 28% Harwood Islam 19% Grant Reefs 10% Savary Island Statistical Area 16 13% Powell River 12% Pender Harbour 6% Sargeant Bay Statistical Area 17 22% Nanairro 8% Five Fing 6% Ballenas Island Statistical Area 18 27% saanich Inlet 12% Finlayson Is. 10% sansum Narrows Statistical Area 19 21% Oak Bay 10% Church Island 9% Constance Is. Statistical Area 20 30% Beedley Head 28% Sooke 8% 'Irap Shack, Owan Point, and Donaldson Island Statistical Area 28 24% Capilano Ro J\lbuth 14% Gower Point 10% Carrp Byng - 21 - Statistical Area 29 - due to triangle closure for chinook cons~ation there were only 22 tags recovered in this area for 1983. Point Rol::>erts was the top location with nine recoveries. Coho: Statistical Area 13 34% Carrpbell River 8% cape Mudge 6% Green Buoy (P60) Statistical Area 14 18% Norris Rock 8% Sa.lm:m Point 6% French Creek Statistical Area 15 30% Grant Reefs 27% Ha....""WOC>d Island 18% Sa.vary Island Statistical Area 16 12% Pender Harbour 9% Epsom Point 8% Texada Island Statistical Area 17 19% Ballenas Island 15% Nanai.rro 10% Mistaken Island Statistical Area 18 14% Active Pass 11% Sa.anic..~ Inlet 11% Pender Island Statistical Area 19 20% Pedder Bay 18% Becher Bay 10% Tenmile Point Statistical Area 20 45% Beedley Head 25% Sooke 8% Donaldson Island Statistical Area 28 22% Capilano R. r-t:>uth 15% Carrp Byng 14% Seal Rocks Statistical Area 29 25% Fraser River 20% Mission Bridge 9% Derby Rea.ch - 22 - D. F'RF.SIMATER FRESIMATER RE:COVERIES IN 1983 Chinook stee1head # Heads turned in 32 434 373 # OVTs yielded 30 408 314 All sport river-caught chinook were of canadian origin. Those fish were caught between August and Noverrber. Over 70% were caught in the Chilliwack/Vedder River syste.'11. The remainder v.iere from Starrp River. About 90% of the coho recoveries were three-year-olds from Chilliwack Hatchery. Wild Salwein Creek ( Chilliwack River tributary) coho c:Ontributed 8% of the recoveries. Two percent of the recoveries originated from Nanai.rro River, Little carrpbell River, Quinsam River, Seyrrour River, Robertson Creek, Qualicum River, and Capilano River. Nearly all the coho were caught from August to Decerrber, with only a few coho caught in the early m:::mths. Eighty three percent were caught in the Chilliwack/Vedder River system. Other catch locations were Little Qualicum River, Seyrrour River, Sumas River, Starrp River and Qualicum River. M:>st of the steelhead tags recovered (35%) came from Qualicum Hatchery. Twenty three percent of the tags carre from the Chilliwack/Vedder River system, and Coquihalla and Alouette rivers. Those fish were incubated at the Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery and released into the rivers from which they originated. The remaining steelhead recoveries originated from Quinsam River, Keogh River, O'Connor Lake, Seyrrour River, Cowichan River, Robertson Creek, Surrey Rearing Ponds, Puntledge River and Oyster River. FRESH MATER RECOUERIES 350 .aJ...., 300 STEELHEAO=~:;OL ID R 250 E COHO=OUTLINE c ·::· 01-1 0 ..... - l) E 150 R E 100 D 5(i (1 1 6 Figure 10 M::>st of the steelhead caught were three and four-year-olds ( 44% "We..."""B four-year-olds and 39% were three-year-olds) (Figure 10) • Eight percent were two-year-olds and eight percent were five-year-olds. There were only five one-year-olds and one six-year-old steelhead recovered. The six-year-old recovery was caught in Carrpbell River and originated from its tributary Quinsam River. Steelhead were caught virtually all year round but rrore prominently in January a.'1d February. The majority of the tags were recovered in Qualicum River (24%), Vedder River ( 15%) and the Cowichan River ( 11%) • WHERE 00 ALL THE FISHERMEN LIVE? People care from all over the world to fish L11 B.C. waters. Serre of our visitors are aware of the Head Recovery Program and turn in heads of marked fish. Although their nurrbers are not so great as those of local f isherrren, their efforts are appreciated and it is interesting to note where sane of our foreign visitors live. In 1983, 10,563 heads were turned L11 with corcpleted head labels, a 25% increase over 1982. Participation in the program was rrost prominent arrong B.C. residents, with only 20% of the labels turned in by non-British Colurrbia anglers. Of the heads recovered by Americans, sul::missions were highest fran Californians, with 41%. Participation by Washington and Oregon residents was also high at 24% and 10% respectivelye Heads were·also submitted by fisherrren from rrost other states, ranging from Alaska to Florida to Hawaii. The non-North Arrerican suhnissions were from SWitzerland ( 4), Israel { 2) and Australia and New Zealand (one each) • 1 ?~-~._ .. .... ~ . 1 ..... } RESIDENCE OF PARTICIPATING ANGLERS Figure 11 Of the Canadian Recoveries, approximately 9,600 heads (91%) were from B.C. Alberta had the second highest recovery rate with 7%. /SASKATCHEWAN - 4% -MANITOBA - 4% ..---ONTARIO - 9% ...... 111m111mmllllllll - EA S T C0 AST - 2 % -ALBERTA - 82% CANADIAN ~NGLERI OUTSIDE OF l.C. Figure 12 Within British Colurrbia, participation was greatest by f is~n living along the coast ( 35%) • The concentration of Vancouver Island participants centered on the southern end, with Victoria to Nanaim:J residents contributing 23% of the province's total. BC RESIDENT RECOVERIES 2500 #2000 R E (:1500 0 l,i E1000 F.'. E D 50(1 [1 r Figure 13 CHILI..rwACK HATCHERY Historically, the Chilliwack River, which is the headwaters of the Vedder River, was the major steelhead fishing river in the Lower Mainland. However, overfishing by marine and freshwater f isherrren led to a sharp decline in the wild stock in the mid-1970's, so a catch and release fishery was irrposed as a conservation rreasure in 1978. During the same period, the wild coho stock showed a similar, although not so severe, decrease in escaperrent (Figure 1) • The natural chinook run into the Chilliwack/Vedder River was very low, with probably fewer than 50 adults a year returning to spawn in the last 5 to 10 yea...... -g. The fishery was closed to chii.1ook in 1975 in order to conserve the remaining stock for brood stoc.'l\: wilen a ha.tchery could be constructed. That closure preceded a total Fraser River chinook sport fishery closure by several years. Between 1976 and 1979 wild coho srrolts were coded wire tagged on several tributaries of the Vedder/Chilliwack system as they migrated to the ocean. Recoveries of those tagged fish indicated that the Vedder/Chilliwack stock was ideally suited for eru1ancerrent since the fish were mainly caught in B.C. and were distributed arrong sport and comrercial fishermen. Their "biting• nature in freshwater added to their desirability. Enhancerrent of the steelhead stocks was undertaken in 1976 by the research staff at the Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery (FVTH} in Abbotsford. As a result of the small nuniJers of srrolts released, that program did not greatly affect the sport fishery, although enough adults '\Nere produced to pe:rmit a "wild release/hatchery keep" sport fishery to corrmence in 1981. That rreant that only hatchery fish could be kept. Wild fish had to be releaSed. The adipose fin-clip is irrportant to that type of fishery as it is used to identify the hatchery fish. Upon corrpletion of the Chilliwack River Hatchery in the fall of 1980, a co-operative steelh.ea.d en.'11.ancerrent program was undertaken bet-ween the hatchery and the FVTH research staff. In 1980, steelhead from the Chilliwack River were incubated and initially rea...~d at the FVI'H before being transferred to earthen channels at the Chilliwack Hatchery :Ln Septeni:ler, 1981, for final rearing. The 66,000 srrolts were released in May of 1982 at various sites throughout the Chilliwack River system. Ari additional 20,000 srrolts i;rere released by the FVI'H research staff. The first coho eggs were taken in the fall of 1980 and incubated until they -were at the .. eyed" stage by the International Pacific Salrron Comnission at their Cultus Lake facility. Eyed eggs {eggs in which the eyes of the er00ryos are developed arid visible) are tough enough to withstand the stresses of being transported from one site to another. The eggs were then rroved to the newly corrpleted incubation room at the Chilliwack Hatchery. In the spring of 1982, 144,000 coho srrolts we.re released at various locations throughout the river s:ystem. In addition, 412,000 chinook srrolts were released, mainly from eggs from the white fleshed race of chinook transplanted from the Harrison River. Since the coho srrolts were fairly large, weighing an average of 25 grams {hatcheries try to obtain a size of 17-21 grams for coho srrolts), quite a nurrber returned as "'jacks" (precocious males) in 1982, providing anglers with a good jack fishery. In 1983, the normal coho adults returned in excellent nurrt>ers and lower Fraser River and Ved.der-chilliwack fishermen enjoyed the best sport fishing in recent rrerrory, with hatchery fish conprising approximately 50% of the catch. - 26 - COHO ESCAPE"ENT - UEDDER/CHILL!WACK 71o500 75750 Es 45 c 40 A p 35 E M 30 E N 25 T 20 15 1 0 10 0 0 5 I I 7 ,-. .::a 0 ~~...... ~,....._~...... -'ll-'!!l--'¥-...... ~~p....ljl- ...... ~ip....11-- 51 54 57 60 63 66 69 72 75 78 81 '·r'cLH ···R .. CHINOOK ESCAPE"ENT- UEDDER~CHILLIWACK 1400 1200 E S1000 '-·r-· pA 800 ~ 600 ~ 400 T 200 0~~...... ~~ ...... ~'-'!L-l~...... ~~lll-IJ!-.IP--lfl.~~...._ 51 78 81 '-r'EAR Figure 1 The excellent 1983 coho fishing was augrrented by the return of 2 to 5 pound cti..inook jacks from the srrolts released in 1982. :MJst were caught on the lower river and had a silver, fresh run appearance. That group of chinook is showing up strongly in other sport fisheries. catches in the first few rronths of 1984 indicate the presence of Chilliwack chinook off Qualicum River, weighing 12 to 15 pounds. The first adults from the steelbead releases also returned. in 1983 (3-year-old fish) • They provided an estimated 35-45% of the steelhead catch in the Chilliwack River. The Chilliwack Hatchery is in the unique position of being able to provide good fishing opportunities to a large nunt>er of sport fishernen. Its location close to a large population center plus its accessibility make the Chilliwack River an excellent fishing location and a prirre site for salrronid enhancerrent. As well, the long period during which fish return to the river, from Septerrber through January, increases the fishing opportunities anglers can enjoy. If the success of the initial returns is any indication, the Vedder/Chilliwack River will again .become the premier steelhead and salrron sport fishing river in the Lower Mainland. The excellent river fishing provided by the relatively small nu:rrbers released in 1982 indicates that the recent releases of larger groups of fish will provide even further increased fishing opportunities. Freshwater and marine f ishenren are encouraged to turn in the head from any adipose-clipped fish they catch. Tag recoveries are .irrportant in m::mitoring the success of the hatchery and, ultimately, in increasing fishing opportunities. - 28 - EL NINO The effects of El Nino's warm waters on the Pacific Ocean's physical and biological systems have been \<11811 docurrented for equatorial regions and, in particular, their effect on the Peruvian anchovy fishery. The west coast of North America, however, has only recorded three El Nino events to date (1940-41, 1957-58, 1982-83) and, while the physical changes in the marine environrrent are rreasurable, the inpacts on the major fisheries are still unclear. El Nino (which means Christ Child in Spanish) is the narre given by the f isher:rren of Peru to the warm ocean current that occurs around Christmas time off the coasts of Ecuador arid Peru. El Nino, however, is not a localized event. Its influence ranges over the entire equatorial Pacific, causing major disruptions in global r.reather patterns and potentially catastrophic effects on marine ecological systei-ns. Today the term is used rrore broadly and has corre to be associated with extrerre warming events in the equatorial Pacific, marked by the appearance of unusually warm water off the coasts of Equa.dor and Peru. Eight major El Nino events have been recorded in the southern Pacific during the past 100 years. The event generally appa--ars every t~ to ten years, with rrost occurrances falling in a three to seven year range. Past episodes also suggest that each El Nino event may have different regional effects. According to Eugene M. Rasmusson, chief of diagnostics for the NOAA's Climate Analysis Center, predictions are difficult and there are no easy answers to account for the onset of an El Nino event • Although the mechanics of the process are still unresolved, it is known that El Nino events ·are closely linked to the southern oscillation - a reversal or change in the att-mspheric pressure zones in the tropical Pacific. Under normal conditions the equatorial trade winds blow westward across the Pacific from a high atm::>spheric pressure zone off South America to a low atm::>spheric pressure system over Australia and Indonesia. The westward winds cause corresponding water currents that rrove the warm surface water in the eastern Pacific to the west, causing cold, nutrient rich water to· well up off the coast of Ecuador and Peru (Figure 1). Under El Nino conditions, this generally stable ocean-atrrospheric system collapses. The normal high atrrospheric pressure zone in the eastern Pacific weakens and the low pressure zone rroves east. The prevailing westerly winds weaken and reverse direction, carrying the warm surface layer of the western Pacific back towards the South American coast (Figure 2) • This warm water mass floods the eastern tropical ocean and hits the South American coast as El Nino. The cold Peruvian current is displaced offshore and the thick overlying surface layer overrides the coastal ~llings of cold nutrient rich water. The upwelling process continues but within the upper layer of unproductive warm water .. Nutrients are not cycled upward from the ocean depths, plankton populations (the diet of rrost young marine fish) decrease and the fish subsequently migrate away from the coast. The El Nino of 1982-83 replaces the 1972 event as the rrost intensely observed since 1891. It trigge._...-00 atnnspheric disturbances on a scale never recorded before and extended further north than all other El Ninos • Ocean terrperature anorcalies extended as far north as t-lle Queen Charlotte Islands, the Gulf of Alaska, and the Bering Sea. The abnormally warm sea surface terrperatUL--es a."1d low pressure systems spawned violent storms across the central and eastern Pacific. California, Bolivia, and Peru were subjected to torrential rains, landslides, and destructive high tides while Australia, in the \ - 29 - Normal Current Patterns Currents Under El Nino Conditions In contrast to the extrerre weather conditions to the south, the west coast of Canada experienced a mild winter. Record levels of rain were recorded but the threat of flooding was law due to the small snovv pack of the winter of 1981-82. The largest concern for many of the west coast fishermen and biologists was El Nino~s influence on the major fisheries and its :llrpact on salm:m survival and migration. The latest El Nino brought a wedge of warm water up the California coast in late fall of 1982, disrupting the offshore California current and suppressing normal surrrner upwelling. By December and January it was pushing past the west coast of Vancouver Island and intruding into the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Queen Charlotte Sound. Maximum sea surface terrperatures 2 degrees above normal were reached between March and May, 1983 within 200 km of the B.C. coast. The intrusian of warm surface waters also brought unusual nurrbers and species of offshore warm water fish, such as sunfish, barracuda, Spanish mackeral, and giant turtles, to the inside waters of the Straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca. Early corrrrercial catch statistics for the total 1983 coastwide salm::m harvest from California to Alaska have been estimated (Pacific Fishing, 1984 Yearbook) at roughly 15% rrore than the 1982 harvest. Q'lly catches in B.C. and Alaska increased however; Washington, Oregon, and California recorded one of their lowest comrercial harvests ever. Recreational fishing effort and landings were also lOW' for these three states, although the decline was not as severe as for the ocean troll fishery. Of the three states, Washington suffered the worst drop in catch rates (catch per unit effort) for both the troll and recreational fishery. However, this may in pa.rt reflect the severe gear and area restrictions :ircposed on the 1983 Washington troll fishery. In B.C. waters the recreational catch estimates for chl.nook caught in the Strait of Georgia -were up over 1982, but down for coho. Poor prices and catch sizes combined with a third disturbing factor to further reduce total catch values. Fish caught "Were reportedly smaller throughout the west coast fishery, causing biolgists to speculate that the marine food chain had been disrupted by the wa.rmsr upper ocean waters. Smaller sized fish have a smaller body cavity, and therefore will contain a reduced nurrber' of eggs. A reduction in the fecundity (reproductive ability) of both chinook and coho stocks in Oregon and Washington has biologists concerned with potential spawning failure. Led by the enormous harvest of Bristol Bay sockeye, Alaska recorded its second largest corrmercial catch in history. Not all areas, ho;yever, did -well and many regions in the Alaska fishery suffered unexpected declines in catch sizes. Smaller sizes of pinks and sockeye led to an overall production year that was conparable in weight to that of recent years. B.C. 1 s estimated landings conpared -well with past seasons. However, two-thirds of the 1983 catch were pinks. The combined catch of coho and chinook was equal to the 1982 season, but poor returns of sockeye and lOW' prices for all species resulted in the lowest catch values since 1976. The sockeye and pink diversion through Johnstone Strait was higher in 1983 ( 85% for sockeye, 64% for pinks) than in recent years (1982-25%, 1981-70%, 1980-71%) causing speculation that migrating fish had kept rrore to inland waters to avoid the warner currents off the west coast of Vancouver Island. Chinook extended their migration route northward. Thirty-four different groups (total of 132 fish) fran California hatcheries were recovered in the 1983 B.C. troll and sport fisheries. In 1982, 34 corrmercial caught and l sport caught California fish were recovered, while the average nurrber of recoveries of California fish per --31 - year during the period 1976-1981 ~ms four. An exarrple of the increase in recoveries of California fish is the large number of recoveries of 1980 brood chi..riook from the Feather River Hatchery bearing code 06-58-21. In 1983, eighteen troll caught and one sport caught fish from this group ..vere recovered. El Nii.""10' s effect on clirnate arrl equatorial circulation usually lasts about a year and, according to Richard E. Thorrpson of the Institute of Ocean Sciences in Victoria, conditions are expected to return to normal by the sumrer of 1984. O::::currences of El Nino events do appear to cycle and an event like the one experienced in 1982-83 is not expected to re-occur here until the year 2004. For California, Oregon, and Washington 'ffJBSt coast fisheries however, concern continues for the ocean survival of adult and juvenile chinook and coho salm:m. Juveniles entering the ocean for the first time in 1981-82 may have experienced a shortage of food at a critical stage in their developrrent. Corrbined with the smaller size of this year's spawners a."ld 10\'i,Br expected fecundity, future production in all three states could be lOW' for several years to come. B.C. 's inshore waters appear to f!..ave escaped some of the rrore adverse conditions experienced to the south. However, abnorrral migration routes, such as the unprecedented diversion of pinks and sockeye through Johnstone Strait, changes in the ru..11 sizes, and a reduction in the size of pinks have led to concern of El Nino' s irrpact on the future west coast fisheries. / Our understanding of El Nino events for equatorial regions is far better than for the mid-latitude regions. Major El Nino events do appear to have a major influence on the physical envi.i..-o:r.m:mt of North America's west coast, but their long tenn irrpacts on the mid-latitude fisheries still remain to be dete:rmined. - 32 - The Mark Recovery Program would like to thank all f ishe:rrren who participated in the Head Recovery Program during 1983. The heads and data that you have supplied have provided a great deal of valuable infonnation. The efforts of the Logbook Fishenren and the Depot operators are also greatly appreciated. We would also like to thank Don Buxton, Chilliwack Hatchery and Mike Fretwell, International Pacific Salm::m Fisheries Conmission, for providing infonnation. A special thanks to Jim Thomas and Lee Straight for proofreading the proposed articles and to Chris M::Kenzie for preparing the graphs. C This is the second year that the Mark Recovery Program has produced an Annual Sport Bulletin. If you have any corments regarding the fonnat or ideas for future articles we would like to hear from you. Please write to: Susan Carruthers Department of Fisheries and Oceans r 1090 West Pender St. Vancouver, B.C. V6E 2Pl Telephone: 666-6192 - 33 -