Port Moller Test Fishery Update

Catches at the Port Moller Test Fishery dropped off a bit on Sunday compared to the largest catches of the season recorded on Saturday. 124 sockeye were taken in the Port Moller Test Fishery on Sunday. 62 sockeye were caught at station 4 and 34 sockeye were taken at station 6. The catch at station 2 was 10 fish and the catch at station 8 was 6 sockeye. 12 sockeye were caught at station 10. Sunday’s catch produced a daily replacement index number of 26, which pushes the cumulative number up to 209. Sunday’s daily traditional index number was 49, which pushes the cumulative index number up to 477. That’s well shy of the average cumulative index number of 644 for the 22nd of June. In 16 of the last 24 years the cumulative index number has been higher than this year’s 477. A closer look at the numbers shows that 63 of the sockeye caught Sunday were taken in the 5 1/8th inch mesh. 61 sockeye were taken in the 4 ½ inch mesh. The interpretation for Sunday’s catch was released Monday afternoon. Fisheries Scientist Scott Raborn with the Bristol Bay Science and Research Institute suggests that the peak day at Port Moller should occur anytime between today and next Monday. Raborn confirms that the next round of stock composition estimates should be released by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game sometime on Tuesday. The results from the Port Moller Test Fishery can be found online on the website of the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporations. BBEDC is the parent organization for the Bristol Bay Science and Research Institute.