JOINT CHINOOK TECHNICAL COMMITTEE

Joint Chinook Technical Committee. Committee Response to Questions from the PSC Commissioners Regarding the U.S. and Canadian Proposals for Abundance-Based Regimes for Chinook Fisheries. TCCHINOOK (98)-1. December 2, 1998.

In February of 1998, the United States (U.S.) and Canada exchanged proposals for abundance-based management regimes for chinook salmon. While many aspects of the proposals are similar, conceptual and technical differences exist. To identify and determine the significance of those differences, the Commissioners asked a bilateral workgroup to develop a list of expository questions. A subgroup of the Chinook Technical Committee (CTC) was subsequently requested by the Commissioners to address these questions. This report was prepared by the Chinook Technical Committee (CTC) in response to that request.

Briefly, both the U.S. and Canadian proposals include: 1) an abundance-based management approach for chinook salmon that includes limits for mixed-stock ocean fisheries and constraints for remaining fisheries; 2) provisions for adjusting allowable harvests in response to stock status; 3) a list of technical assignments; 4) approaches to reduce incidental mortalities; and 5) provisions for terminal exclusions, hatchery add-ons, and overage /underage policies.

This report discusses significant differences between the Canadian and U.S. proposals, including:

  1. provisions for individual stock-based management (pass-through);
  2. harvest regimes based on catch indices versus total mortality indices;
  3. aggregation of fisheries;
  4. harvest rate reductions;
  5. methods for computing the allowable harvest.

There are differences between the proposals that the report does not address. For example, whereas both proposals include adjustments in allowable harvests in response to stock status, the mechanism triggering the response differs. Also, the entire U.S. proposal takes effect immediately and the Canadian proposal is to be implemented in stages. These and other differences may be more appropriate for discussion within the PSC.

The commissioners also requested a retrospective comparison of the U.S. and Canadian proposals, with predictions of the catches, exploitation rates, and escapements that would have occurred if the proposed regimes would have been in effect from 1985 through 1996. The CTC has not yet completed that assignment, but will provide a complete report prior to the end of 1998.