The baywide catch is currently at 33 million sockeye. The total run is 46 million fish. That’s 90% of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's preseason forecast. Researchers plan to run experiments at Lake Iliamna this summer, trying to better understand the relationship between sockeye salmon, and a small, spiky fish called three-spined stickleback. And, KDLG checks in with Area Management Biologist Tim Sands.
Get in touch and share some perspective — give us a call at 907-842-5281 or send an email to fish@kdlg.org. If you’d like to get a message out to the fleet on this show, send your messages to the fleet to fish@kdlg.org.
Green, brown and spiky: Researchers work to better understand sockeye’s relationship to the three-spined stickleback
Three-spined sticklebacks are small, green and brown fish with spines that run along their backs. In Lake Iliamna in the Bristol Bay region, three-spined sticklebacks eat the same plankton that juvenile sockeye salmon rely on to grow.
This year, researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks plan to run some experiments in Lake Iliamna to better understand sockeye’s small, spiky competition – and if warming waters might give them a competitive advantage.
KDLG is working on a story about partners of commercial fishermen. If that describes you, or you’re part of a commercial fisherman’s onshore support team, send an email to fish@kdlg.org. We might be able to share your voice on the Bristol Bay Fisheries Report.
Check-in with Area Management Biologist Tim Sands
It’s mid July, and we’re nearing the later part of the season. The baywide catch is 90% of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s preseason forecast, and the University of Washington Alaska Salmon Program adjusted their in-season forecast to 61 million sockeye.
KDLG caught up with Area Management biologist Tim Sands to give us his perspective on the season so far. Listen to that interview below.
Messages to the fleet
Please wish Mike on the f/v Miss Gina a very happy birthday (7/11).
Thank you!
-
The Numbers
Baywide Total
The baywide catch on Thursday was 1,146,457 fish, making the total season catch 32,532,380. Overall escapement is at 12,937,758 so far. The total run as of Thursday, July 10 was estimated at 46,270,138 sockeye. The preseason forecast is set at 51.4 million fish, we are within the preseason estimated range of 37–66 million fish.
Nushagak
In the Nushagak District, fleets hauled in 339,736 fish on Thursday, for a total of 14,477,798, with an average drift delivery of 474 sockeye. The pre-season catch forecast in the Nushagak District is 15.7 million fish.
Escapement was 144,457 yesterday, for an overall count of 5,962,344 so far. The total run this season in the Nushagak District is 20,440,142, and the pre-season forecast is 21 million fish.
Nushagak River
The Nushagak River sonar counted 50,407 sockeye on Thursday, for a total of 3,103,896 sockeye up the Nushagak so far.
233 chinook passed the sonar; their total is 32,530 so far this season. And 7,516 chum passed the sonar, for a total of 349,960.
The Nushagak River has surpassed its expected escapement of 2 million fish, and has exceeded its escapement goal range of 370,000 to 2.5 million. The escapement goal range for chinook salmon is 55,000 to 120,000.
Wood River
72,744 sockeye passed the Wood River counting tower on Thursday, for a total of 2,404,992 so far, with another 8,016 fish passing the tower as of 6 a.m. July 11. The Wood River has passed its escapement forecast of 2.4 million sockeye this season, and the Wood is within its escapement goal range of 700,000 to 3 million.
Igushik
The Igushik tower crew counted 21,306 fish on July 10, for a total of 453,456, with an additional 7,854 fish counted as of 6 a.m. this morning. Igushik has surpassed its preseason escapement estimate of 340,000 fish, and has exceeded its escapement goal range of 150,000 to 400,000.
Togiak
7,530 sockeye were counted by the Togiak tower crews on Thursday, for a total of 28,842, with another 2,424 fish counted as of 6 a.m. July 11. Escapement in the Togiak is an expected 230,000, with an escapement goal range of 120,000 to 270,000.
Naknek-Kvichak
Naknek and Kvichak fishing fleets caught 335,588 fish yesterday; their total is 8,499,316, with a drift delivery of 549 sockeye. They have surpassed the pre-season catch forecast of 7.7 million fish.
Escapement was 295,776 yesterday, for an overall count of 5,034,222 so far. The total run this season in the Naknek-Kvichak District is 13,833,538, and the pre-season forecast is a 16 million sockeye run.
Naknek River
Naknek tower crews spotted 18,414 fish yesterday, their total is 855,324. The Naknek’s escapement estimate is 1.1 million sockeye, and they are within their escapement goal range of 800,000 to 2 million.
Kvichak River
The Kvichak River crews counted 145,632 fish, for a total of 2,500,074. Their escapement forecast is at 4 million fish, and the Kvichak is within their escapement goal range of 2 million to 10 million.
Alagnak
131,730 fish were counted swimming in the Alagnak River yesterday, making their total 1,666,566. The Alagnak River’s escapement is estimated to be 2.7 million sockeye.
Egegik
Egegik fleets brought in 274,803 fish yesterday, making their total catch 5,902,131, with an average drift delivery of 1,003 sockeye. Egegik has surpassed its pre-season catch forecast of 5.2 million fish.
36,060 spawners were counted passing the towers in Egegik yesterday, making the season’s total escapement 1,239,090 fish. The Egegik river is past its escapement forecast of 1.1 million fish, and they are within their escapement goal range of 800,000 to 2 million.
The total season run so far for Egegik is 7,141,221, and they are past their preseason run forecast of 6.5 million sockeye salmon.
Ugashik
Ugashik fleets brought in 196,330 fish yesterday, their total harvest is 3,577,033, with an average drift delivery of 909 sockeye. Ugashik’s catch forecast is 5.5 million fish.
Escapement in Ugashik was 113,874 yesterday, for a total of 673,260 and escapement is an expected 1.2 million, and they are within their escapement goal range of 500,000 to 1.4 million.
The total season run for Ugashik is 4,750,293, and the preseason run forecast is 6.9 million sockeye.
Vessel Registrations
As of 9 a.m. July 11, in Egegik, there are 221 permits on 157 boats. By Sunday that should stay the same, and the number of DBoats will remain at 65.
The Ugashik District has 295 permits on 201 boats, which should increase to 308 permits on 208 boats in the next 2 days. DBoats will move up from 94 to 100.
In the Naknek-Kvichak District, there are now 537 permits on 401 boats. That should increase to 579 permits on 426 boats by Sunday. DBoats will increase from 136 to 153.
In the Nushagak, there are 513 permits on 373 boats. In the next 2 days that should move down to 503 permits on 336 boats. DBoats will go from 139 to 136.
In Togiak there are 23 permits on 23 boats, and that should stay the same by Sunday.
In total bay-wide, there are 1,589 active permits on 1,155 boats and 434 DBoats.
Chignik River weir
At the Chignik River weir, 27,441 sockeye swam through the weir on July 10, for a season total of 457,852 so far.
15,094 fish were part of the early run, and 12,347 fish were part of the late run.
Area M
Over in Area M yesterday, fleets harvested 7,918 sockeye on July 10 for a season total of 1,206,389.
5 chinook were caught yesterday, and their overall harvest is 2,780.
Fleets caught 32,495 chum on Thursday, for a total of 264,158.
7,708 pinks were caught the other day, their harvest is 182,723.
And 1,246 cohos were caught on July 10, their total is 7,345.
A total of 1,663,395 salmon across all species have been caught in Area M this season.
Port Moller Test Fishery
For Port Moller catches on Thursday, no fish were caught at station 24 and station 2 was not fished.
Station 4 caught 0 fish in the small net and 1 fish in the big net. That catch index is 2.
Station 6 caught 6 fish in the small net and 7 fish in the big net. That catch index is 30.
Station 8 caught 9 fish in the small net and 10 fish in the big net. That catch index is 44.
Station 10 caught 6 fish in the small net and 4 fish in the big net. That catch index is 26.
Station 12 caught 3 fish in the small net and 2 fish in the big net. That catch index is 13.
Station 14 caught 6 fish in the small net and 2 fish in the big net. That catch index is 21.
Station 16 caught 0 fish in the small net and 7 fish in the big net. That catch index is 17.
Station 18 caught 1 fish in the small net and 9 fish in the big net. That catch index is 24.
Station 20 caught 0 fish in the small net and 10 fish in the big net. That catch index is 29.
Station 22 caught 13 fish in the small net and 0 fish in the big net. That catch index is 35.
Overall, the average catch index for Thursday was 22. The average length of fish caught in the small mesh is 508mm, and 530mm for fish in the big mesh.
-
