(Inter-Departmental Report) BRISTOL BAY DATA REPORT NO BRISTOL BAY ANNUAL STAFF MEETING 1984 (January 25-27, 1984) KING SALMON, ALASKA

Transcription

1 l -1 ~ l~ I~ (Inter-Departmental Report) -l i BRISTOL BAY DATA REPORT NO l l J BRISTOL BAY ANNUAL STAFF MEETING 1984 (January 25-27, 1984) KING SALMON, ALASKA l By Jeffrey R. Skrade Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Commerial Fisheries Dillingham, Alaska Marh 2, 1984 AR.US Alaska Resoures Librarv & I nfonnation Servies Library Building, Suite lll 3211 Providene Drive Anhorage, AK

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3 l~ l I. ADMINISTRATION A. Call To Order Bristol Bay Annual Staff Meeting January 25-27, 1984 King Salmon The meeting was onvened at 1:3 p.m., January 25, by Chairman Rihard Russell. The following staff members were attendees: Rihard Russe 11, Chairman Dennis Haanpaa Doug Eggers Ken Florey Don Bill Chris Pae (FRED) A l Kingsbury Jeff Skrade Chris Dlugokenski (USF&WS) Mihael Nelson Wes Buher Craig Whitmore (AYK) Chuk Meaham Ma Minard Denby Lloyd (Habitat) Henry Yuen Steve Fried B. Agenda L Minor adjustments to the agenda were approved and Jeff Skrade was appointed "Reorder". C. Content of Future Staff Meetings (eg. tehnial projet reviews) At future staff meetings part of the agenda will inlude a review of one of the major programs now being onduted in Bristol Bay. This ould be in the form of a workshop and suggested topis ould inlude: smolt programs, test fish, Nuyakuk esapement problem, foreasting, Ugashik River, et. The review will inlude an evaluation of what we have, do, and how it ould apply to other systems. Outside soures (experts) ould be brought in from other areas. At eah staff meeting the group will hoose the topi to be overed the next year. Conensus of the staff was to review the inside test fish programs at the 1985 meeting.

4 II. FISCAL ANALYSIS A. F. Y. '84 Pre-Audit Regional Perspetive - the budget is in headquarter's hands now and will be disussed soon. There is a $125,, or a 3%, defiit in the entral region, after srutiny by the regional staff. Bristol Bay represents 37% of the regior.'s total budget and showed a $12,8 defiit in operations only. This was mostly due to an F.R.I. ontrat. l. Bristol Bay Salmon has a $37, defiit, mostly in permanent salaries. Effiieny uts in the projet budgets inlude: one King Salmon offie helper, the redution to $1/day for groeries, and $2, for the power pole at Dillingham. made a $5-6, differene in the salmon projets. The groery redution 2. Bristol Bay herring has a large problem beause the $12, Federal aid has not materialized yet. The projets show a $13,5 defiit due to a substantial redution from F.Y. '83. Bristol Bay n Herring started with a $14,3 defiit mostly in permanent salaries. u Al Kingsbury reviewed the projet budgets as they ame in and some of the uts inluded: the herring ook and assorted travel osts, groery funding was ut to $1/day. Al felt we ould do better beause AYK feeds rews for less than Bristol Bay. r LJ rl, J n u n u The Federal aid for herring looks enouraging and should ome down soon. Bob Lebida will follow up on this and also hek why they indiate $12, instead of $13 as the ontrat alls for. Togiak salmon (sonar) has been offered up in plae of the Nushagak transet projet, but no word from Juneau yet on this issue. Realloations (budgets) should be approved by the Region by Marh lst or sooner. ' u n '--' J

5 B. F. Y. '85 l. Salmon Update by Al Kingsbury - an interim doument was prepared at four "servie levels". For example Bristol Bay Salmon: Level: l. 85%- $1.436 (was dropped) 2. 95% % - l.535 (made up inflation) %- l.7476 Headquarters is going to the legislature with something between servie levels 3 and 4. No loss of staff or major projets is expeted. For omparison, in 1983 the Bristol Bay Salmon appropriation was $ Herring Bristol Bay Herring alloation was $271.4 in 1983 and the request is $ C. F. Y. '86 Planning The basi budget will remain the same and projet managers should onentrate on line 1 and 5 and any major projet hanges that are planned. D. C.I.P. Projets l. Current Status: Buoys and Markers - budget appears to be reoniled and there may be a small surplus. Sewer Funds - have been approved for Dillingham warehouse/grounds work and the King Salmon omplex. Don Bill and Mike Nelson to submit plans to Ken Florey. These are Bay-wide $ so needs will be prioritized.

6 The funds will be administered by Ken Florey in Anhorage. Some engineering onerns still need to be addressed. Don Bill's estimate of the King Salmon work was approximately $54,. Nushagak Researh - some $ were partially spent by S.E. region and are lost. 2. New C.I.P. Proposals: Al Menin has some new researh and development equipment and may be testing it at Wood River amp in E. Blue Book Proposals and Status Headquarters has a new approah and Blue Book proposals will now be for large statewide projets, perhaps several small ones lumped together under one over. Requests will be submitted to the region in the same method so they will have douments in hand. Existing proposals need to be re-evaluated, but not neessarily re-submitted. III. HEADQUARTERS BRIEFING Omitted, no Juneau staff were available to attend the meeting. IV. PROGRAM REVIEW A. Personne 1 1. Permanent Staff Changes: Doug Eggers has moved to Juneau as a regional biometriian. Steve Fried has replaed Doug Eggers as Bristol Bay East Side Researh Projet Leader. Bob Lebida has replaed Steve Fried as Bering Sea Herring Researh Projet Leader. Dennis Haanpaa, as Management Coordinator, has now assumed.supervision of the Bristol Bay staff. rl, _, T' u u ~ ] L

7 2. Permanent Staff Summer Shedule: Dennis Haanpaa will partiipate in the Togiak herring fishery as well as east and west side Bristol Bay salmon. Chuk Meaham will attend both the Togiak herring and Bristol Bay salmon fisheries. Henry Yuen will be in King Salmon for salmon season and needs family housing. Steve Fried will have his summer headquarters in King Salmon and plans one trip to Dillingham during salmon season. Ken Parker and Bob Clasby both wish to visi.t the Bay this season if time allows. Karen Lew plans to be in Bristol Bay for one month, but will likely spend less. Chuk Meaham will oordinate her time and requests that the Bay staff onsider any speial ativities that they wish doumented. Ken Florey will hek on the State-wide plan to evaluate position levels in regard to duties and responsibilities of various staff members (upgrades). Dennis Haanpaa indiated we need guidelines to evaluate job duties and experiene. Ken Florey will put this issue on. the next P.P.C. agenda. Chuk Meaham stated "we annot hire new F.B. I's." Ken Florey indiated that present F.B. I's may be given a hange of duty stations without diffiulty. Seasonal F.B. I's who presently qualify for F.B. II will be upgraded, and then Region will send the field offies written diretion on the reent hanges. 3. Seasonal Hiring:

8 Dennis Haanpaa will hek on F.T. I register status and the Dep't. of Labor waiver. Six months is required at the Tehniian level before a step inrease, and one year for F.B. I's. Ken Florey indiated that F.B. I's will get overtime and the staff should do their best to redue the amount worked to as little as possible. Chuk Meaham stated that Phyllis Lowe will again oordinate all intern hires (Editors note: Phyllis Lowe has just informed the Dillingham offie that interns will not be allowed to fill positions that re-our on an annual basis, and therefore it is unlikely that we will have any in 1984). B. Upoming Board of Fisheries Meeting 1. Staff Assignments - Dik Russell and Mike Nelson will present the salmon staff presentation and response. Jeff Skrade will present herring. 2. Unimak Chum Fishery - There will be several staff presentations inluding: overview papers by Ron Regnart-AYK, Mike Nelson-Bristol Bay, Arnie Shaul-False Pass/Shumagins, Pat Holmes will review his researh, Bob Conrad-Stok I.D., Chuk Meaham-the June fishery and the Board plan now in plae. r,_> r 3. Nushagak set net proposal status - this issue was disussed extensively r~ at the Dillingham Board hearing. Advisory ommittee ompromise has L been submitted, and staff omments were sent to the Regional offie. Ken Florey will hek with Bob Clasby on removal of referene to guideline harvest levels in the herring regulations. D ] L

9 C. Report Status 1. Salmon a Annual Management Report is well underway now and the r,~ appendix tables are partially ompleted. We are still short 2 piees of data, the Japanese land-based salmon ath info, and one other. Herman Shroeder is putting the 1983 report on the Dillingham omputer. Juneau is disussing a State-wide format for Annual Management Reports at this time. Staff disussed adding Board of Fisheries reports to Bristol Bay Data Report series, and agreed to hange the Bristol Bay Data Report series numbering system to 84-1, 2, et. Dennis Haanpaa and Karen Saunders will be the ontats for getting old Board reports filed, bound, and indexed in Anhorage. Mike Nelson will send a list to Dennis for a ross hek on what is available. Ken Florey requested that a summary of Board ations be listed in the Annual Management Reports as an appendix for quik referene. b. C & E reports for was sent to Juneau is waiting for final fish tiket numbers. This is eminent and may be 2 months away is waiting for final fish tiket numbers and has a problem with the oho data. Henry has suggested a new format with an introdution and no text narrative by distrit. He suggested a Table and Appendix Table format. Starting in 1978 we are inluding other speies data in the C & E report. ~

10 . AWL summary - is being reported separately by speies for the early years. Henry Yuen is working on this projet. d. Combined test fish and smolt reports -Mike Nelson will do the 1983 distrit test fish information for Steve Fried. Other reports are in various stages of ompletion Kvi hak Egegik Naknek Wood Nuyakuk Ugashik Smolt reports - a single sheet summary will be prepared giving numbers by projet and age omposition eg: Age I Age II Age III Total Comments Pending e. Other Reports: 2. Herring (In millions) ~ (7? ) est Problem w/lots of oho too. Nushagak king report- Mike Nelson requested a speial assignment of his time during his final year of employment, and will notify his supervisors of his pending retirement date the year in advane. Subsistene - Judy Morris of Subsistene Division in King Salmon may do an update of Tom Shroeders' Bristol Bay Data Report. Pink report- Wes Buher has it partially ompleted and is waiting for data from Dave Mesiar before it an be finished. Preliminary summary indiates that the 1983 outmigration was signifiantly redued from a. UAJ Final Report- a preliminary version was submitted on 1/28/83 and the fi na 1 is due r~arh 15. Two master's theses wi 11 a 1 so be produed on the kelp work. CJ

11 -' b. Other Herring Reports Herring AWL report for will again be a Teh. data report this year. Steve Fried and Vidar Wespestad's Bering Sea Herring paper that was presented at Nanaimo, B.C. is in review and may be printed in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries in 1984 if approved. r l~ 1-, Craig Whitmore has an informational leaflet in progress to update Burton/Steinhof sine We an expet a draft before the 1984 field season. Disussion about partiipation at the Joint Board/North Paifi Counil meeting. There is presently a proposal for an offshore L researh program in It may be a ontrat or a limited joint venture with a small quota of herring. Staff reommended that Bob Lebida go to Juneau to attend the upoming North Paifi Counil meeting. D. Fish Tikets and IBM Runs 1983 salmon tikets are almost all entered and that portion should be ompleted within two weeks. It is already partially edited salmon- the preliminary final run looks good with the exeption of oho and that still needs work. Ultimately the "system" is moving toward key punhing the fish tikets in the area offies. The big problem with Bristol Bay is our large volume of tikets. There is a State-wide problem now with purhasing any omputers, and a lak of funding for units and_ operators.

12 Linda Brannian of AYK has modified the salmon omputer program to aept their herring fish tikets. It may be possible to use this program and have the Bristol Bay herring fish tikets key punhed in Dillingham on the first week of June. E. Field Camp Land Status Ugashik and Naknek amps both have land problems and both were transferred to the loal native orporation. The Wood River land status problems were explained to the staff by Jeff Skrade and Wes Buher. Both were requested to re-ontat Jim Culbertson of Dep't. of Natural Resoures and also Ernie Greek of Administration and urge them to resolve the ownership of the Wood River site. (Editor's note: Ernie Greek has sine investigated the Wood River land status and indiated that the State is in a very seure position, and that any neessary work needed may proeed. He will also pursue a final end to this long standing problem and has met with Dep't. of Natural Resoures.) F. Fish and Wildlife Protetion Plans for 1984 Sergeant Curt Youngren addressed the staff: They plan to follow the same plan as King Salmon and Dillingham are now under Lt. Phil Gilson of the Kodiak detahment. The P/V Woldstad will again haul the fuel for the Togiak herring fishery to Summit Island and will likely be replaed by the P/V Vigilant later in the season. Publi Safety I will also be on the herring grounds and one of the 2 small vessels will likely be going to Seurity Cove. For Nushagak salmon enforement they will have the P/V Publi Safety I and 2 offiers on the beah with an airraft. r L L

13 II l ~ - l. ~ ~ In Naknek-Kvihak there will be 2 offiers operating in a whaler and the P/V Compliane. The P/V Vigilant will also be alternating between N/K, Egegik and Ugashik. Pre-printed fish tiket books - letters will be sent to all the buyers before the season advising them to disontinue this pratie. Mesh size - the fishermen were put on notie during the 1983 season that mesh size restritions will be stritly enfored in The Dep't. of Publi Safety will follow the same program as All field measurements will be noted by the offiers this season for our possible use later. Depending on Board ation, the Ugashik line will be desribed in latitude, longitude and Loran. Buoys will be deployed as an aid to the fishermen and their loations broadast to the fleet. Ken Florey will request that Bob Clasby hek with Limited Entry about the Bristol Bay Pilot Projet, and give them some enouragement to ontinue the program in both Dillingham and King Salmon. V. HERRING OPERATIONAL PLANS A Management Outlook, Kelp, Herring, Time Alloations, Other Speies Based on the strong showing of age 5 and 6 year herring in 1983, a large harvestable surplus is again expeted in Steve Fried has done an ''in-house'' foreast (not for publi distribution) that indiates a total biomass near 1, tons, assuming a low level of reruitment and no large overwinter mortality.

14 Time alloations for gill netters will remain 3 times that of purse seines unless the Board adopts one of the proposed hanges to the present management plan. We have a new kelp management plan in the developmental stage at this time. It will inorporate the findings of the UAJ ontratual study and will be presented to the Board of Fisheries in February. (Editors note: The new kelp plan was approved for the 1984 season (Appendix 1). It is very likely that a ommerial fishery will develop on apelin at Togiak this year and two ompanies have verbally expressed interest in 1-2, tons eah. The enforement diretive by the Board onerning apelin will be observed, but unless an obvious resoure onservation problem ours, it is likely that this fishery will be unrestrited during the first year. B. Staff Assignments and Crew Deployment Jeff Skrade will ontinue to have overall management responsibility for herring and kelp and will be stationed at Summit Island. Mike Nelson will fly all fixed wing surveys from Dillingham and the same proedures will be used for transmittal of the data. Bob Lebida will shift from biomass training with Mike in the early season to Summit Island, mainly to observe and assist his first year. Ma Minard will alternate between Summit Island and Metervik Bay and assist with inseason aging data and pik up many of Steve Frieds' duties, as well as spawn on kelp assessment work with the heliopter. f \, ~ j L

15 Jj -, I, Wes Buher will assist with logisti support in Dillingham and supervise mail messages and doumentation of fishery information, eg. telephone reorder, KDLG, et. May be alled to the grounds to assist, if needed, prior to smolt preparation. The bulk of the field rew is sheduled to arrive in Dillingham on April 23 this year. Hopefully, the staff and the early folks will have the amp gear ready to deploy immediately thereafter. C. Aerial Survey Biomass Training The staff all reognize the need to prepare another surveyor for Mike Nelson's eventual retirement and plans are to train Bob Lebida.with Mike this season. D. Roe Quality Management Plans for 1984 Season E. Will be similar to 1983 with multiple vessels fishing the onentrations of biomass to gather samples. Publi roe testing will be onduted on Summit Island, on another sheltered beah, or aboard a vessel. an industry boat or P/V Woldstad.) Data Transmission, Mail Messages Similar to (Perhaps Summit Island will have early A.M. ommuniations with Dillingham to plan the daily shedule, transmit data and supply orders. F. Exlusive Registration- Latest Definition, CFEC Permit Requirements for Herring and Capelin Craig Whitmore of AYK disussed enforement problems during the 1983 season. Diffiult due to the large effort in Norton Sound. ADF&G numbers are not enough and a vessel must be observed fishing in one area and that doumented before it is good evidene. To make ases, vessels must be boarded in both areas and the partiipants i dent ifi ed.

16 There is a problem with the definition of exlusive registration and AYK requests the Bristol Bay staff to inlude printed information, that they will provide, in the proessor pakets and broadast orally on the grounds. G. Hydroaousti Work with R/V Iliaska A blue book proposal has been submitted to get better density estimates of shools in addition to our point estimate program. Dave Gaudet will do some preliminary experimental work with our test boats on the whaler. Benefits from this program ould also be inorporated in management of the other fisheries north of Bristol Bay. Dave Gaudet and Ma will oordinate. (Editors note: Approximately Marh 15 we were notified in Dillingham that Dave Gaudet will attempt to do his work in Norton Sound or another area and will not be oming to Bristol Bay. H. Test Fishing 1. Point estimates - verified estimates are needed at most depths as many of the existing ones are estimated and not atually pumped. Perhaps some ould be attempted by Bob Lebida later in the season using the heliopter. 2. Contratee seletion and payment - the Bay staff was advised that we ''broke the test fish budget'' i~ 1983 with the ontrated roe testing. Roe sampling will be attempted on a volunteer basis in 1984 and speial work suh as point estimates will be done by ontrated vessels. 3. USCG inspetion requirements -will be in effet for the Port Moller vessel only. Regional staff felt that due to our remoteness and the unavailability of inspetors that this would not be possible on the small test boats. r ~ ' ~ ~ f ~ _,

17 1o I. Speial Topis Requiring Group Disussion l. Variable mesh gill net projet - Two nets have been ordered, but after muh staff disussion, it was deided that this type of work --' -, was not our main responsibility and would further stress our present shortage of personnel. It was suggested that perhaps Joe Mangiardi of BBNA would have the time and interest to develop a program. "-' 2. Monitoring other speies (rab, apelin, et.) - apelin will be targeted in 1984 and the fishery will be doumented in the same manner as herring. As only one or two ages are present, a minimal sample will be required. If the fishery extends into June it may pose some personnel and line 1 budget problems. Hair rab s"tudi es wi 11 be onduted by Dames and Moore i ni dental to the BBNA ontrat work, but the speial permit will not be requested by the joint venture group this season. 3. UAJ Contrat Kelp Researh, review and impliations - It appears that an overstory removal takes 2-3 years to reover to a mature stand. Spawn survival studies are still inomplete, but egg survival on eel grass may not be as good as fuus. Ma Minard's work indiates there may be an 8% egg loss due to predation. Present management guidelines are onservative but would require biomass estimates annually at large ost. A rotational sheme would be a better approah. Ma Minard suggested 5 different levels of preision that ould be used for spawn on kelp management; we need to selet the ones most realistially aomplished (Appendix 2).

18 Staff needs to develop a deisive plan inorporating plants, potential effets of the number of eggs removed and to relate the spawn on kelp harvest bak to the number of tons of herring it took to produe it. J. Kelp Plans It was deided that 1984 will be managed as 1983 unless the new plan to be presented to the Board of Fisheries at the Deember-February meeting is approved. K. Vessel and Heliopter Arrival Dates and Duration The ompany will be on 3 day notie in late April or early May. After the 21 day herring work, it will spend approximately 2 days in Dillingham and 2 days in King Salmon doing salmon marker work at the remote sites. L. Misellaneous 1. Subsistene monitoring - Subsistene Division personnel will be on the herring grounds during the 1984 season and will onentrate their efforts toward the western end of the distrit. 2. Interation with other ageniesjdivision's and VIP's- Skrade will oordinate with Dennis Haanpaa and all visitors will be direted to the Summit Island amp with the firm understanding that all hands must _assist with all projets as needed. 3. NPFMC - status of FMP - plan was sent to the Seretary of Commere for approval. Has no basi hanges f1om earlier version. It inludes a 2% harvest eiling. There is urrently a proposal for an offshore experimental fishery. The sse will review the proposal next week and the NPFMC in February. 4. Duth Harbor Stok Separation Researh- Don Rogers of F.R.I. is the prinipal investigator. They are on ontrat to the NPF~1C; Nt-1FS in Seattle is administering the program. Preliminary results indiate that mostly Togiak fish are being harvested in Duth Harbor. f' lj ' r ~- ] G

19 1/ li _,., l.o l -, ' VI. At some future time this removal will need to be addressed in regard to Togiak herring exploitation levels. SALMON OPERATION PLANS A Management Outlook Mike Nelson expets more 3-oean fish than foreast. This would have good impliations for Nushagak and Togiak distrits. Nelson also feels that the new esapement goal of 3, sokeye at Nuyakuk is minimal and plans to shoot for 45, if possible. Don Bill indiated that N/K management will be more onservative in the early part of the season. Dik Russell is optimisti about Egegik, but is hoping for more 4 2 's at Ugashik and is hopeful that the fish don't mill this year. Optomisti for a good run in Jeff Skrade was autiouslyoptomisti about Togiak based on the reent trends, but the foreast does indiate that this distrit may be starting to drop bak a bit. Will wait and wath. Staff disussed a proposed Togiak River sonar projet. Costs will be mostly line 1. Ma estimates $18,8 required prior to 7/l and $9.4K for F.Y. '85. Estimates the total at $28.2K. Ken Florey suggested that a review and expansion was needed on the projet justifiation. B. Esapement Goal Revision Update (SeeS. Fried's esapement goal workshop notes listed under a separate over.) Doug Eggers is plotting the esapement range based on the shape of the urve.

20 C. Buoy and Marker Deployment Nushagak distrit- same as New tower will be installed at Etolin Pt. and Nihols Hills sites and new marker for the set net areas on the east side of the distrit if the ompromise proposal is passed by the Board. Naknek/Kvihak - pivot buoy will be deployed and tenders will anhor on the N/K line. Egegik- the north and south lines will be marked with tall towers and the inside lines will also be marked with 1ft. towers. Ugashik- several buoys will be deployed on the line- depending on Board ation in February. Large operational budgets will be needed in future years beause 1984 will be the end of the C.I.P. dollars. PR's have been sent for towers, lights, and batteries. D. Computer Related Conerns Mike Nelson felt the large daily runs were to muh data for the managers to use at one time. Port Moller data is mandatory for the publi and the staff. Daily C & E was hand tallied quiker than the omputer ould provide in Age omposition runs need to be separated by area, east and west side of the Bay. Dik Russell requests that the final runs be made in the Bay prior to the departure of the omputer. ~,. --~ r '. ~~ r: j I' ~

21 19 -~ Dillingham staff requests that the update proedure be simplified. Wes Buher, Henry Yuen and Steve Fried need to meet prior to the season to familiarize all onerned with the operations. E. Sampling Proedures and Needs _j _j 1. Calipers vs. measuring boards for length measurements. Boards were deemed OK and perferable beause they are quiker. Staff will reover the remaining alipers from the field and use them for ath sampling. 2. C & E- AWL needs for other speies - eg, hums. We need more of both ath and esapement samples. A priority list was established in 1983 (Appendix 3). Staff needs to make oho sampling in Nushagak and Togiak a priority. 3. Arhiving Update - Mike Nelson inquired if the Stok I.D. lab had L ~ been fireproofed yet? Chuk Meaham will hek and report bak to him. (Editor's Note: No fireproofing yet!) F. Emergeny Order Authority The staff debated the pros and ons of set net only openings. It was the onensus of the group that they should be used only when absolutely neessary. G. Coho Studies, Plans and Update A new Togiak weir program was initiated on Gehiak River in 1983 to alibrate aerial surveys. The projet will be repeated again in East side of Bristol Bay - aerial surveys are needed on several systems. Minard and Russell will disuss funding and system priorities. Spawning ground reports - should inlude the oho survey info. East and West side should be ombined under one report with a standard format. Dik Russell and Wes Buher will ooperate on this projet.

22 H. Nushagak King Foreast Minard summarized the data for Nushagak-it will be kept "in-house". Two foreasts were generated, based on major age lasses: (1) sibling year lasses, and (2) return per spawner. The in-house 1984 Nushagak king foreast was plaed at 243, kings. Minard will try the same approah on the Togiak setion in the near future. Brood year tables were also generated and are in the report. I. Continuity of Outside Test Fish Program and Notifiation Requirements Permanent staff will observe and partiipate in the Nushagak outside test fish program when at all possible, to provide ontinuity to the program, should the primary vessel no longer be available. Interest in test fishing will be soliited in 1984 and a primary and an alternate will be seleted. Three (3) informal bids will now be required for all small vessel ontrats. Dennis Haanpaa will researh the impliations of the hange in the small vessel ontrat requirements: eg, 14 days, $1, maximum, et., and notify the staff of any hanges prior to the season. J. Management Manuals Don Bill and Mike Nelson will eah make opies for the Regional offie and for the Dillingham and King Salmon area offies. K. Researh Priorities 1. East Side- N/K Brian Bue will do thesis work on mesh size and how it relates to size, sex, and age of ath and esapement. Field work will be performed in onjuntion with Egegik and Kvihak test fish programs. ~- L ' _J L

23 <.I Brian will prepare a progress report by Board meeting time (12/l/84). Muh staff disussion about methodology and riteria Brian should use. Steve Fried will sit on Brian's ommittee and diret his ativity. I. J -, _) ' I ', '-' D D 2. Don Bi 11 made the point that with the effiieny of today' s fleet and gear, that the only ''signifiant'' esapement ours during the losures. Possible sampling during outside test fishing ativity may be indiated. West Side - A Nushagak tagging study is needed to assist in the Nuyakuk/Wood River stok timing problem. The Dillingham staff are to deide needs and goals and how they an be aomplished. Sexing Bright Salmon - Wes Buher will do an unannouned speial sample of the ath samples in 1984 on.a ouple of bathes to verify sex. Dik Russell will sample for bias of males and females in the esapement sampling proedures. Staff needs to verify with Arnie Shaul (at the Board meeting) our sampling needs for the False Pass fishery. Chuk Meaham will indiate to the Stok Biology staff some of our researh needs in Bristol Bay, and inquire about sample help at False Pass, Nushagak tagging, and the Lake Clark fish in regard to esapement goals in the Kvihak system and possible funding, and/or staff support.

24 L. Togiak Sonar vs Other Management Needs M. Togiak management error is the 4th worst in Bristol Bay in terms of meeting the goal +or-. Togiak is more stable in variability, 64% up or down ompared to 13% for Nuyakuk. Two advantages to the Togiak sonar projet are: the logisti support by the USF&WS, and an early assessment of the impat of the rapidly expanding sport fishery on the resoure of the Togiak drainage. It would also be relatively easy to measure the sonar auray against the tower ounts, and the projet would provide muh needed hum esapement samples and possibly kings as well. The present plan will be to deploy the sonar unit on 6/11 and run the program through the weir work on Gehiak River (oho). The deployment of the gear would be 8 days ahead of the tower rew to over the entire sokeye run. The staff needs to weigh the priorities of the potential $ spent in Togiak researh and the ost benefit against a possible Nushagak tagging program to help with the Nuyakuk esapement problem. Steve Fried was assigned to review a Nushagak/Kvihak tagging senario and develop operational plans, budgets, et. Togiak Run Modeling The initial ost of this projet was almost $2, for the F.R.I. (Linda Brannian) work. To run the model in 1984 would require some programming time to put it on the Vetor and then Minard ould run it inseason at no ost. Chuk Meaham and Ken Florey will prioritize the Anhorage programmer's j duties and disuss these with the AYK staff. (Ron Regnart and L. Brannian) - j : r: n n D j

25 N. I & E Personnel and Plans (disussed earlier under IV-A-1) Chuk Meaham will take the lead and fous Karen Lew's efforts in the Bay during the 1984 season.. Coordination with Other Agenies 1. F.R.I. - herring stok separation work will ontinue on the Duth Harbor fishery. Don Rogers will provide one student to assist with sampling at Togiak this spring, approximately May 1st. 2. UAJ - the herring spawn on kelp ontrat is now ompleted and the final report is due in ~larh, USF&WS - have a joint projet with ADF&G on the Togiak River this season. They will provide a man, boat, motor, and logisti support in return for opies of all weir and sonar data generated and a sport fish reel ensus to be onduted throughout the season (also see VI L). Chris Dlugokenski of the USF&WS will oordinate with Arnie Shaul re the proposed pipeline orridors aross the Alaska Peninsula and needed researh in those areas. USF&WS is also partially funding some work on the Egegik River and some oho surveys. Their ageny has r eently gone to our standard AWL form. P. Need for Heliopter Support for Salmon Management Dik Russell feels that if a heliopter was available, it would be an exellent tool for salmon management and reommended that a ontrat be onsidered at some point in the future, realizing that the ost would be onsiderable.

26 Q. Anomalies Yellow salmon and other unusual samples need to be shipped to the pathology lab. in Anhorage ASAP - without utting or freezing. Should be bagged and ied only. R. Maintenane Needs and Plans l. Equipment status - looks good in general, and the outboard motors performed the best ever in a. Boats - several on the west side need repair (Igushik and Togiak tower) and the new herring 4 KW generator is rigged to weld. Mark Reynokds will travel to the amps as they are deployed to perform the neessary work. b. Outboard motors - eah amp will have one newer outboard available for use in Generators - in good repair and the herring units provide a good ready reserve. Buildings - with the King Salmon sewer dollars now available, extensive repairs, and remodeling is planned for both east and west side HQ's. Igushik Test Fish ter.t frame will be onverted to a rough abin this season. The tent was due for replaement and the lumber ost was less than $2 more. Vehiles - present system is very expensive. We may want to purhase some outright for Dillingham and King Salmon and provide our own maintenane. This may be aomplished at replaement time, and hopefully near the hange of the fisal year. Dennis Haanpaa will researh this vehile purhase plan with John Wayman and D.O.T. He will need all vehile ID numbers to determine replaement dates, osts, et. \1 L j j

27 VII. GENERAL TOPICS OF AREA WIDE SIGNIFICANCE A. BBCMP Status - Bristol Bay Coop. ~1anagement Plan - Denby L 1 oyd of Habitat addressed the staff meeting. The draft has been aepted by the State and publi review.,federal employees have some problem with it, but it may be a moot point. own areas under their own plans. The Federal government will manage their The Bristol Bay Plan inludes: 1. Mineral Entry- 3 levels: (a) losed to mineral entry (none will be allowed on 66 designated anadromous fish streams). restritions, subjet to lease. () open to entry. (b) under 2. Land Disposal -will our in the Dillingham area, near Wood River, Lake Aleknagik and on Etolin Point. 3. Oil and Gas - primary, seondary, none before 1994, not on the 5 year lease shedule, Bristol Bay State Fishery Reserve, and wilderness areas all surfae entry is prohibited. Oil sale #41 has strit guidelines. 4. Transportation Corridors - none may our in near future at least. B. Br"istol Bay Power Proposals Newhalen run of the river is the only one now being onsidered. Habitat Division has reahed agreement with the Alaska Power Authority that no more than 5% of the outmigrants may be drawn into the intakes and no more than 2% of those may be mortalities. In other words, no net loss of fish prodution. The Bristol Bay Coastal Management Plan overs this and DNR and other agenies provide additional protetions. The Alaska Power Authority has funded juvenile outmigration studies by Dames and Moore for $4, and approahed ADF&G about the use of smolt equipment and possibly running a projet for them. C. Oil Lease Sales- Disussed by Denby Lloyd (see VII A).

28 D. Bristol Bay Planning-RPT-Regional Planning Team- May be in limbo for now. Chris Pae of FRED Division addressed the staff and indiated that a meeting of the RPT will be held in Dillingham on l/31/84. There is a Statewide goal to omplete some form of plan for eah area. The Dil,lingham E. F. group will review the planning efforts to date by Imarpik. Imarpik had a ontrat this past year to draft a doument and evidently it wasn't ompleted. Some means of getting the plan bak on trak will be disussed. Ken Florey felt that the plan approah simply doesn't fit in Bristol Bay. Chuk Meaham suggested that an issue paper on habitat onerns about mining should be inluded. There is a desire by the Commissioner's offie that a plan be ompleted and a mandate in Title 16 to that effet. Perhaps a over doument and an inorporation of present douments now in plae is more appropriate. BBNA Fisheries Development Projet Chuk Meaham desribed the projets that are ongoing and eah area offie has opies of the latest douments. Initial results have not revealed any new disoveries from the work. Other/Misellaneous Seismi testing permits should be restrited to non-salmon areas in season (both adults and juveniles). The problem is that permits outside 3 miles are issued by Minerals Management, a Federal ageny. First Aid Training - Don Bill, Dik Russell, and Tom Wither will ome to Dillingham for a lass the first week of Marh. Skrade organized the lass with an instrutor from the Publi Health Servie. Chuk Meaham has some eduational tapes - mini ourses on various subjets and will send them out to the field offies. ] L

29 27 Staff Exhange- Jeff Skrade will pre-audit for a SE Alaska herring trip and Wes Buher may want to go to Upper Cook Inlet to observe - - their program during the salmon season. I ~ L

30 Appena1x 1. New Kelp Plan ~!ANAGEMENT PLAN TO RffiULATE THE HERRING SPAWN-oN-KELP HARVFSI' IN THE BRISIDL BAY AREA February 1984 MANAGEr-lEN!' OF THE TOGIAK HERRING SPAWN-oN-KELP HARVEST SHOULD CENTER UPON A LEVEL OF EXPLOITATION IDT TO EXCEED 35, LBS, THE DEPARI'MENT RECOMMENDS THAT THE NUMBER OF OPENINGS ALLOWED IN THE SPAWN-oN-KELP FISHERY BE BASED ON THE EXTENT OF FISHING TIME IN THE HERRING FISHERY, AND THE DENSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF OBSERVED SPAWN-ON-KELP. CONTRACTED STUDIES BY THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA JUNEAU SUGGEST A 'lwj TO THREE-YEAR ROTATIONAL HARVFSI' OF THOSE AREAS PICKED, TO PRESERVE THE PUINI' COMMUNITY BY ALLCWING FOR A RECOVERY PERIOD AFTER REnlVAL. ADOPTION OF THIS MANAGEMENT PLAN WILL PROVIDE FOR A CONTINUED LEVEL OF HARVFSI' BY THE PARTICIPANTS, WHILE STABILIZING AT A CONSERVATIVE LE.VEL, THE REMOVAL OF SPAWN FROM POTENTIAL HERRING PRODUriON. THIS ~!ANAGE!-lENI' STRATEGY IDULD FURI'HER REDUCE THE IMPAr ON THE PUINI' COMHUNI'IY, AND HINIHIZE THE DAMAGE TO UNHARVFSI'ED SPAWN AND PLANTS. A SPAWN-oN-KELP HARVFSI' OF 35, LBS. IS EQUIVALENT TO THE PRODUriON FROM 1,353 M. 'IDNS OF HERRING. THE DEPARI'MENT RECOMMENDS THAT THE SPAWN-oN KELP REMOVAL BE INCLUDED IN THE CALCULATION OF THE PERCENT OF HERRING BI!11\SS HARVFSI'ED, WHEN POSSffiLE, SPAWN-oN-KELP HARVFSI'S WILL BE TIMED TO INSURE THE BEST QUALITY PRODUr, THUS PROVIDING THE HIGHEST RETURN TO THE PARTICIPANTS. l.o D

31 r-j Apr -.. J i X CJ 5 l_. Jl S I_..J re e:::d n ::::::J ::::J ::::J ::::::J ::::J ::::J ::::J :::::::J :::::::J :::::::J ~, - ) -:-J J Level I Self limiting management Do nothing -ollet seasonal ath data Level II Employ a quota system by K-area by area -ollet length freq. data from ath -make area losures as harvest reahes quota y KELP MANAGE~1ENT Level III STRATEGIES Rotational Harvest by area based upon a 2 year yle -set up new K-area boundaries -ollet daily ath data -monitor length freq. ath Level IV Rotational Harvest by area based upon a variable yle I -set up boundaries -ollet daily ath data -monitor length freq. ath -monitor length freq. of p1 ants in area to determine regeneration. When regeneration is bak to "normal" mature stand allow harvest Level V Manage harvest based upon] % removal of existing ' biomass of plants ' -estimate biomass of plan1 by K-area annually -set quota as a % of estimated biomass by K area -ollet daily ath data and make K-area losures as ath approahes quot; N ld

32 Appendix 3. Kings Nushagak n = 18/{3) Togiak n = 6/{1) Igushik Ugashik n = 6/(l) Egegik Nak/Kvi n = 6/ ( 1) l/ Beah ( ) = Sample Periods Kvi hak Branh Try n =? Naknek Egegik Ugashik Try n =? Nuyakuk Nush- Mulh. n = 12 Wood Snake Igushik Togiak n = 6 Portage Creek ll Otoliths. Chums n = 12/{3) n = 12/ {3) n = 4/{l) n = 4/(1) n = 4 n = 4 Sampling Goals (1984) CATCH Pinks Cohos n = 6/(3) n = 4/{1) n = 4/{l) n = 6/{3) ESCAPEMENT n = 6 n 4/{l) n 4/(l) n = 4/(l) Sokeye n = 18/{3) n = 18/{3) n = 6/{l) n = 18/{3) n = 18/{3) n = 18/{3) n = 18 l/ n = 6 - n = 18 n = 18 n = 18 n = 18 as available n = 18 n = 18 n = 18 n = 6 ] J r: L_.l J 1 1 D

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