Copper River Salmon. Review of Workshop I. April 12-14, 14, 2005 The Captain Cook Hotel Anchorage, Alaska

Copper River Salmon Review of Workshop I April 12-14, 14, 2005 The Captain Cook Hotel Anchorage, Alaska

Copper River Salmon-Workshop I Salmon Management Systems Protection of Wild Salmon Populations Salmon Habitats Assessment of Salmon Runs TEK Public Support and Involvement

Salmon Management Systems Matt Evenson Alaska Department of Fish and Department of Fish and Game

Salmon Management Systems-Workshop I Overview of Both Sustainable Salmon Fisheries and Escapement Goal Policies- Charlie Swanton Overview of Copper River Delta Wild Salmon Stock Components-Steve Moffitt Overview of Upper Copper River Wild Salmon Stock Components-Tom Taube Copper River Commercial Salmon Fishery Management-Bert Lewis State Management of the Personal Use and Sport Fisheries in the Upper Copper River Area-Tom Taube Federal Subsistence Management Programs in the Copper River Watershed-Eric Veach Federal Subsistence Management Programs in Prince William Sound and the Copper River Delta-Tim Joyce

Management System Sustainable Salmon Fisheries and EG Policies Develop or Refine Mgt. Plans and Regulations Develop or Refine Escapement Goals Prosecute Fisheries Monitor Run Size, Harvest, and Escapement to Evaluate Mgt Plan Objectives Review Stock Status and Report to BOF/FSB Other Research Projects

Management System: Starts With POLICY Policy for the Management of Sustainable Salmon Fisheries (5 AAC 39.222.) Policy for Statewide Salmon Escapement Goals (5 AAC 39.223.)

Sustainable Salmon Fisheries Policy: Guiding Principles 1) Maintain habitat to assure sustained yields 2) Allow escapements within ranges to conserve and sustain salmon production and ecosystem functioning 3) Establish effective management systems to regulate human activities 4) Seek and encourage public support and involvement for sustained use and protection of salmon resources 5) Manage conservatively in the face of uncertainty

Escapement Goal Policy: Key Elements 1) Establish escapement goals for stocks that are actively managed for. 2) Document all analyses used to establish goals. 3) Review goals within a region every BOF cycle.

Escapement Goal Terminology BEG-Biological Escapement Goal SEG-Sustainable Escapement Goal OEG-Optimal Escapement goal SET-Sustainable Escapement Threshold

The key to setting a good Escapement Goal is understanding the relationship between the size of the escapement and the return produced from that escapement. 20,000 S MSY S eq Return 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 Spawners Replacement

Escapement Goals Upper Copper River Sockeye 300-500 K (Sonar) Copper River Delta Sockeye 55-130 K (Aerial Surveys) Copper River Chinook 24 K+ (Capture-recapture) recapture) Copper River Delta Coho 32-67 K (Aerial Surveys)

Management Plans: A Prescription for Managers If good inseason run assessments are available, plans can be very specific. If not, a more conservative approach is needed. Provide specific goals or objectives that are measurable. Describes the allocation of the harvestable surplus among the users

Copper River Salmon Management Plans 1. Copper River District Salmon Management Plan 2. Copper River Subsistence Salmon Fisheries Management Plan 3. Copper River Personal Use Dip Net Salmon Fishery Management Plan 4. Copper River King Salmon Management Plan

Copper River District Salmon Management Plan SEG 300-500 sockeye Inriver goal for salmon 300 K sockeye escapement 17,500 other salmon escapement 160-225 K Subsistence Harvest 100-150 K Chitina SD PU Harvest 15 K Sport Fishery Hatchery brood stock-estimated annually Hatchery surplus estimated annually

Copper River King Salmon Management Plan SEG 24 K+ king salmon Consider best available info regarding harvest, age composition and escapement EO authority to open and close commercial fisheries (with special guidance in first 3 stat weeks) Annual harvest limit of 4 king salmon In Sport Fishery EO authority to further restrict SF if needed

Copper River Subsistence Salmon Fisheries Management Plan Ensure adequate escapement occurs (as given in the CRDSMP) and that subsistence uses are accommodated Specific provisions for areas, seasons and methods and means given for Batzulnetas and Copper River Districts

Copper River Personal Use Dipnet Salmon Fishery Management Plan Establishes general season (June 1- Sept 30), open area, legal gear, and seasonal limits. Requires establishment of preseason schedule based on projected sonar counts to distribute harvest throughout season. Gives EO authority to open and close fishing during the season based on projected and actual sonar counts. Allows for supplemental harvest when it is deemed there is a weekly harvestable surplus of >50 K salmon. Provides a harvest range of 100-150 K salmon not including fish in excess of the inriver goal. Reduces harvest range if commercial fishery is closed 13 or more consecutive days.

Other Regulations Commercial Fishery: legal gear, fishing areas Subsistence Fishery: legal gear, fishing areas, methods and means, seasonal limits, permitting requirements (Federal fisheries have their own similar types of regulations). Personal Use Fishery: permit reporting requirements. Sport Fishery: Legal gear, fishing areas, daily bag and possession limits, legal gear

Slana Batzulnetas District Gulkana River Glennallen Klutina River Coppe r. Chitina River Glennallen Subdistrict Subsistence Fishery Chitina Subdistrict Subsistence Dip Net Fishery Chitina Riv er Valdez Sonar Station Miles Lake Gulf of Alaska Cordov a Copper River District Commercial and Subsistence Fishery

Monitoring Run Size, Harvests and Escapements

Salmon Distribution N W E S Hook Pt. Crws_awc_upper_pts.shp Crws_awc_polygo ~40 miles max. ns.sh top spawning areas, Crws_awc_lakes.shp Crws_awc_arcs.sh p all <100 m (300 feet) elevation Cape St. Elias

Aerial Surveys

Assessment of Upriver Stocks Slana Batzulnetas District Gulkana River Glennallen Klutina River Coppe r. Chitina River Glennallen Subdistrict Subsistence Fishery Chitina Subdistrict Subsistence Dip Net Fishery Chitina Riv er Valdez Baird Canyon Sonar Station Miles Lake Gulf of Alaska Cordov a Copper River District Commercial and Subsistence Fishery

Miles Lake Sonar Site South Bank Old Bendix facility New DIDSON facility

Chinook Capture-Recapture Project

Harvest Assessment Commercial Fishery: Fish Tickets Subsistence and PU Fisheries: Post-season Permits Sport Fishery: Postal Survey

Other Research Projects Sonar Radiotelemetry Studies Weirs Counting Towers