Submitted to the Marine Stewardship Council on June 1, 2009. The Manuscript Report will be available through DFO’s library website at http://inter01.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/waves2/index.html Canadian Manuscript Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences #### 2009 CERTIFICATION UNIT PROFILE: FRASER RIVER PINK SALMON by S.Grant and G. Pestal1 Fisheries & Aquaculture Management Branch Department of Fisheries and Oceans 200 - 401 Burrard St Vancouver, BC V6C 3S4 1SOLV Consulting Ltd., Vancouver, BC V6H 4B9 © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2009. Cat. No. Fs 97-4/2855E-PDF ISSN 1488-5387 Correct citation for this publication: Grant, S. and G. Pestal. 2009. Certification Unit Profile: Fraser River Pink Salmon. Can. Man. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. ####: vii + 36p. Table of Contents Abstract......................................................................................................................................... vi Résumé .......................................................................................................................................... vi Preface.......................................................................................................................................... vii 1 Introduction............................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Stocks covered in this document................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Fisheries covered in this document ............................................................................................ 1 2 Background and Stock Objectives ....................................................................................... 2 2.1 Life history ................................................................................................................................. 2 2.1.1 Stock units...........................................................................................................................................................2 2.1.2 Stock characteristics............................................................................................................................................5 2.2 Stock enhancement activities ..................................................................................................... 6 2.2.1 Enhancement approach .......................................................................................................................................6 2.2.2 Fraser River pink enhancement facilities ............................................................................................................7 2.3 Fisheries intercepting Fraser River pink salmon........................................................................ 7 2.3.1 Overview.............................................................................................................................................................7 2.3.2 First Nations........................................................................................................................................................8 2.3.3 Recreational.........................................................................................................................................................9 2.3.4 Commercial.........................................................................................................................................................9 2.4 Objectives................................................................................................................................. 10 2.4.1 Regional objectives ...........................................................................................................................................10 2.4.2 Conservation objectives for Fraser River pink salmon .....................................................................................10 2.4.3 Management objectives for Fraser River pink salmon fisheries........................................................................11 2.4.4 Performance measures.......................................................................................................................................11 3 Management Framework.................................................................................................... 13 3.1 Regional approach to salmon harvest....................................................................................... 13 3.2 Harvest strategy for Fraser River pink salmon......................................................................... 13 3.3 Decision Guidelines for Commercial Fisheries........................................................................ 14 3.3.1 Decision Guidelines for Area 29 pink salmon fisheries ....................................................................................14 3.3.2 Summary: Annual timeline for commercial pink fisheries................................................................................15 4 Assessment Framework....................................................................................................... 16 4.1 Overview .................................................................................................................................. 16 4.2 Annual Monitoring................................................................................................................... 16 4.2.1 Escapement .......................................................................................................................................................16 4.2.2 Other abundance monitoring programs.............................................................................................................18 4.2.3 Catch .................................................................................................................................................................18 iii 4.3 Analysis.................................................................................................................................... 21 4.3.1 Stock Composition ............................................................................................................................................21 4.3.2 Harvest / Exploitation Rate Analysis ................................................................................................................21 4.3.3 Forecasts............................................................................................................................................................22 5 Stock Status .......................................................................................................................... 23 5.1 Regular status evaluations........................................................................................................ 23 5.2 Current Status........................................................................................................................... 23 5.2.1 Conservation priorities ......................................................................................................................................23 5.2.2 Production .........................................................................................................................................................23 5.3 Trends....................................................................................................................................... 23 5.3.1 Abundance ........................................................................................................................................................23 5.3.2 Escapement .......................................................................................................................................................23 5.3.3 Catch .................................................................................................................................................................24 5.3.4 Exploitation Rate...............................................................................................................................................24 5.3.5 Survival Rates ...................................................................................................................................................24 5.3.6 Size....................................................................................................................................................................24 6 Conservation Measures in Fraser River Pink Fisheries................................................... 25 6.1 Coast-wide conservation strategy............................................................................................. 25 6.2 Pink salmon conservation measures......................................................................................... 25 6.3 Measures to reduce incidental harvest and by-catch in pink salmon fisheries......................... 25 References .................................................................................................................................... 26 Tables ........................................................................................................................................... 28 Figures.......................................................................................................................................... 34 iv List of Tables Table 1. Population structure of odd-year Fraser pink