YUKON RIVER SALMON 2003 SEASON REVIEW AND 2004 OUTLOOK Prepared by THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA YUKON RIVER JOINT TECHNICAL COMMITTEE March 2004 Anchorage, Alaska For US reference, use the following citation: Joint Technical Committee of the Yukon River USICanada Panel. 2004. Regional Information Report No. 3A04-09. Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Commercial Fisheries Division, AYK Region, 333 Raspbeny Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99518-5526. TABLE OF CONTENTS Pa-gg 1.0 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................1 2.0 COMMERCIAL FISHERY. ALASKA .................................................................................2 2.1 Chinook Salmon Management Overview ....................................................................... 2 2.2 Summer Chum Salmon Management Overview ............................................................. 3 2.3 Fall Chum and Coho Salmon ..........................................................................................7 2.2.1 Fall Chum and Coho Salmon Fisheries Summary ........................................... 7 2.2.2 Fall Chum Salmon Management Overview ..................................................... 8 2.2.3 Coho Salmon Management Overview ............................................................10 3.0 COMMERCIAL FISHERY. CANADA .............................................................................. 11 3.1 Chinook Salmon ............................................................................................................11 3.2 Fall Chum and Coho Salmon ........................................................................................14 4.0 SUBSISTENCE. PERSONAZ, USE. ABORIGINAL. DOMESTIC. AND SPORT FISHERIES ........................................................................................................... 16 4.1 Alaska ............................................................................................................................16 4.1 .1 Subsistence Salmon Fishery ...........................................................................16 4.1.2 Personal Use Fishery ......................................................................................17 4.1.3 Sport Fishery ..................................................................................................17 4.2 Canada ............................................................................................................................ 18 4.2.1 Aboriginal Fishery .......................................................................................... 18 . 4.2.2 Domest~cFishery ..................... .. ................................................................. 19 4.2.3 Sport Fishery ..................................................................................................19 5.0 STATUS OF SPAWNING STOCKS .....................................................................................20 5.1 Chinook Salmon ............................................................................................................20 5.1.1 Alaska .............................................................................................................20 5.1.2 Canada ............................................................................................................21 5.2 Summer Chum Salmon ............................................................................................ 23 5.3 Fall Chum Salmon .........................................................................................................24 5.3.1 Alaska ................... ..................................................................................... 24 5.3.2 Canada ....................................................................................................... 26 5.4 Coho Salmon .................................................................................................................27 6.0 PROJECT SUMMARIES .......................................................................................................27 6.1 Alaska ............................................................................................................................27 6.1.1 Yukon River Sonar ...................................................................................... 27 6.1.2 Yukon River Chinook Salmon Stock Identification .................................. 29 6.1.3 Lower Yukon River Chum Salmon Genetic Sampling ................................. 30 6.1.4 Upper Yukon River Chum Salmon Mixed-Stock Analysis ...........................31 6.1.5 Chinook Salmon Radio Telemetry Program ..................................................31 6.1.6 Middle Yukon River Fall Chum Salmon Tagging Study ...............................35 6.1.7 Tanana River Fall Chum Salmon Tagging .....................................................36 6.1.8 Ichthyophonus ................................................................................................37 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) 6.0 PROJECT SUMMARIES (Continued) 6.2 Canada ...........................................................................................................................39 6.2.1 Upper Yukon River Salmon Tagging Program (Yukon Temtory) ................40 6.2.2 Whitehorse Rapids Fishway Chinook Salmon Enumeration ......................... 44 6.2.3 Whitehorse Hatchery Operations ...................................................................44 6.2.4 Fishing Branch River Chum Salmon Weir .....................................................46 6.2.5 Yukon Education Program 2003-2004 ...............................................................46 6.2.6 Stock ID of Yukon River Chum Salmon using Microsatellite DNA Loci ........................................................................................................47 6.3 Yukon River JTC Strategic Research Plan................................................................... 48 6.4 Restoration and Enhancement Fund ............................................................................48 6.4.1 Status of R&E Projects 2003 .......................................................................48 6.4.2 Proposed Call process for Restoration and Enhancement Projects 2004/2005 ....................................................................................................63 6.4.3 Criteria for Yukon River Panel's Salmon R&E Program ...........................65 7.0 YUKON RIVER SALMON RUN OUTLOOKS 2004 .............................................................66 7.1 Alaska ............................................................................................................................66 7.1.1 Chinook Salmon ..........................................................................................66 7.1.2 Summer Chum Salmon ...............................................................................66 7.1.3 Fall Chum Salmon .......................................................................................67 7.1.4 Coho Salmon ...............................................................................................69 7.2 Canada ...........................................................................................................................69 7.2.1 Canadian-Origin Upper Yukon Chinook Salmon .......................................69 7.2.2 Canadian-Origin Upper Yukon Chum Salmon ...........................................72 7.2.3 Canadian-Origin Porcupine River Chum Salmon .......................................74 7.2.4 Spawning Escapmeent Target 0ptions:Canadian-Origin chinook and Chum Salmon .............................................................................................. 75 8.0 STATUS OF BIOLOGICAL ESCAPEMENT GOALS ...........................................................78 8.1 Chinook Salmon ............................................................................................................79 8.1. 1 JTC Discussion of BEGS for Upper Yukon River Salmon ......................... 79 8.2 Summer Chum Salmon .............................................................................................. 80 8.3 Fall Chum Salmon .........................................................................................................80 8.4 Coho Salmon .................................................................................................................81 9.0 MAREVE FISHERIES INFORMATION ..................................................................................81 9.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................81 9.2 Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska Groundfish Fishery ......................................................82 9.2.1 History and Management of the Groundfish Fishery .....................................82 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) 9.0 MARINE FISHERIES INFORMATION ..................................................................................81 9.2 Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska Groundfish Fishery ......................................................82 9.2.2 The Observer Program ...................................................................................83 9.2.3 Estimated Catch of Salmon in the Groundfish Fisheries ...............................84 9.3 Law Enforcement ..........................................................................................................85 9.4 Bering Sea Research