1) catch, effort, and management actions in the 1998 Northern Boundary Area troll and net fisheries of southern Southeast Alaska Districts 101 to 106 and northern British Columbia Areas 1, 3, 4, and 5;

2) management performance relative to Treaty requirements;

3) historical catches by area, gear (purse seine, gillnet, toll, trap), year, week, and species (sockeye, pink, chum, coho, and chinook salmon);

4) historical escapements; and,

5) preliminary expectations and fishing plans for 1999.

In southern Southeast Alaska, the run of pink salmon was slightly above average. The all-gear harvest was 23.8 million and the escapement indices were above 1990-1997 averages in all but Districts 105 and 108. Escapements were particularly strong in Portland Canal, West Behm Canal, and Moria Sound. The wild and hatchery chum run was exceptionally strong. Harvests totalled 5.8 million and escapements of both summer and fall runs were generally well distributed and at high levels. The District 102 fall chum harvest of 0.56 million was over twice the 1994 record. The coho run was reasonably strong. Harvests totalled 1.1 million and escapements were within goal ranges for the Hugh Smith Lake indicator stock and peak counts exceeded 1987-1997 averages in most of the 15 other index systems in District 101. The sockeye harvest of 0.9 million was below recent year averages as was the sockeye escapement into Hugh Smith and McDonald Lakes.

In Northern British Columbia pink runs were well below expected levels in all Statistical Areas: 140,400 pink salmon were harvested in the Area 1 net fishery, 356,905 pink salmon were harvested in Canadian Area 3, 17,223 in Area 4 and 1,470 in the Area 5 fishery. Pink escapements for most Skeena and Nass systems were much lower than target levels. Sockeye runs were also below expected levels, 106,534 were harvested in Area 3 and 84,803 in Area 4. The Nass escapement levels for sockeye were near target. Skeena sockeye escapements were below target levels for both enhanced and wild stocks. Chum runs in Areas 3, 4 and 5 were well above average with net harvests of 246,220 in Area 3, 11,136 in Area 4 and 1,158 in Area 5. Escapements of summer chum salmon were greatly improved over recent levels in all areas with many systems receiving near target escapements. Extensive management actions were taken this year in northern British Columbia commercial, sport, and first nation’s fisheries to reduced coho exploitations, particularly in areas where Upper Skeena stocks are most prevalent. Non-retention and non-possession of coho was in effect in the limited areas opened for troll and net fishing in 1998.

For the 1998 fishing season, no agreement had been reached between Canada and the United States on the conduct of the Alaska District 104 purse seine fishery during Statistical Weeks 28-30 (July 5-25). Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s management intent was to allow fishermen the opportunity to harvest domestic stocks, to allow for standard fishing periods, to distribute the fishing fleet, and to co-ordinate purse seine fishing opportunities throughout Southeast Alaska. In order to achieve these objectives pre-Week 31 openings in District 104 were based on the observed abundance of salmon and the number of vessels fishing in the district. The pre-season expectation was that the fishing time allowed would not exceed the amount allowed in District 101 and 102 nor exceed the 1985-96 average pre-Week 31 hours fished in District 104. Early season sockeye and pink salmon catches were below 1985-1997 averages. The low catch rate of sockeye salmon was consistent with other fishery indicators that Skeena sockeye runs were relatively poor. Consequently, District 104 was managed conservatively in hopes of shifting effort to Districts 101 and 102 where pink salmon were relatively more abundant. Prior to Week 31, when sockeye are historically most abundant, District 104 was open a total of only 32 hours versus 75 hours in Districts 101 and 102. The number of boats fishing in District 104 fell from 57 initially to 38 in Week 30 while in Districts 101 and 102 boats fishing rose from 54 to 144 during the same period. The catch of sockeye salmon in District 104 prior to Week 31 totalled 17 thousand fish or about 10% of the 1985-1997 average for this period.

In the Alaska District 101-11 (Tree Point) gillnet fishery the Pacific Salmon Treaty calls for an average annual harvest, beginning in 1985, of 130,000 sockeye salmon. In 1998, the Tree Point gillnet fishery was opened for three 4-day fishing weeks beginning June 21 (Week 26). In these three initial openings sockeye catch was above 1985-1997 averages, chum catch was much higher than average, and the number of boats fishing the district was a little below average. Nevertheless, fishing time was reduced to a 2.5 day (60 hour) opening in Week 29 in response to Canadian concerns over lagging sockeye escapements in the Nass River. The fishery was managed according to the Pink Salmon Management Plan from Week 30 through Week 35. During this time abundance of pink, chum, and coho salmon were well above Treaty averages and sockeye abundance and effort were below average. In Weeks 30 and 31, the southern portion of the Tree Point area was closed to protect Nass River sockeye after Canadian Department of Fisheries and Ocean biologists determined that escapement levels were not being met. Starting on August 30 (Week 36) the fishery was managed on the strength of the fall chum and coho returns. Chum abundance was above average and coho was were well above average. Effort remained a little below average. A total of 160,506 sockeye salmon were harvested in the District 101 drift gillnet fishery in 1998 bringing the 1985-1998 average annual harvest of sockeye salmon to 167,868.

Under the Pacific Salmon Treaty the outside portions of Canada's Statistical Areas 3 and 5 are to be managed such that an average annual pink harvest of 900,000 is achieved. In 1998, 60,696 pinks were harvested in Management Units 3(1-4). The current average annual pink harvest from 1985-1998 in the treaty area is 1,506,749.

In 1998 there were no specific annex arrangements under the Pacific Salmon Treaty governing the conduct of the Canadian Area 1 troll fishery for pink salmon. The Area 1 troll fishery was closed for the majority of the season with only a small area open from mid-September to early October to harvest chinook salmon. During this time no pink salmon were harvested in this fishery. The AB-line area was closed to trolling for the entire season.

Strong harvests are forecasted for Southeast Alaska pink salmon in 1999. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game forecasts a harvest of between 31 and 51 million pink salmon in all of Southeast Alaska in 1999. Separate forecasts for northern and southern Southeast were not made. Returns of coho, sockeye, and chum salmon are projected to be strong, comparable to the levels observed in recent years.

In Canada, average Nass sockeye returns and very poor Skeena sockeye returns are anticipated in 1999, while below average pink returns are predicted throughout Northern British Columbia.