TECHNICAL COMMITTEE

Joint Chum Technical Committee. Final 1991 Post Season Summary Report. TCCHUM (93)-1. March, 1993.

Introduction

This Joint Chum Salmon Technical Committee report presents the appropriate information for 1991 chum salmon stocks and fisheries in southern British Columbia and Washington, as required in Chapter 6 of Annex IV of the Pacific Salmon Treaty (PST). In addition, the Pacific Salmon Treaty Letters of Transmittal dated May 17, 1991 paragraph 6, provided for an amendment to Chapter 6 of Annex IV of the PST. Detailed information may be found in the Canadian and United States agency reports appended to this report.

Status of Treaty Requirements

Chum stocks and fisheries in southern B.C. and in U.S. Areas 4B, 5, 6C, 7, and 7A are managed under the terms set out in the Pacific Salmon Treaty. The following provides a brief synopsis of the PST chum annex provisions (italics) and of Canadian and United States Management actions in 1991.

1. The Parties shall maintain a Joint Chum Technical Committee to review stock status, develop new methods for stock management and report on management and research findings.

The Joint Chum Technical Committee convened on three separate occasions during the year to address various assignments. The following report was published: The 1989 Post-Season Summary Report.

2. Canada was to manage its inside fisheries to provide rebuilding of depressed naturally spawning stocks and minimize increased interceptions of U.S. chum.

In 1991, the gross escapement of inside chum totaled 1,686,000. Escapement to natural spawning areas totaled 1,475,000 which was 74% of the clockwork goal of 2,000,000. The Fraser River escapement was 621,000, or 89% of the 700,000 goal.

Terminal area fisheries scheduled by Canada to harvest specific stocks with identified surpluses included; mid Vancouver Island (Area 14), Cowichan (Area 18), Nanaimo (Area 17) and Fraser River (Area 29). These fisheries were managed to limit interceptions of U.S. origin or other non-targeted stocks. Stock composition samples were taken, but the technical committee has not addressed the issue of "minimizing increased interceptions".

3. In 1991, Canada was to manage its Johnstone Strait clockwork harvest to set levels dependent on the run size entering Johnstone Strait, as determined inseason. The catch level of chum salmon in U.S. fishing Areas 7 and 7A was determined by the catch of chum salmon in Johnstone Strait. In addition, the traditional proportion of effort and catch between Areas 7 and 7A was to be maintained.

The Clockwork Harvest Plan was reviewed and revised after the end of the 1988 fishing season; no further changes were incorporated in 1991. The inseason estimate of Johnstone Strait run size was 2,700,000, providing for a harvest rate of 10% or 270,000 chum. Post-season, the run size was estimated at 2,733,000 chum. The overall harvest rate for clockwork management purposes was 16.3%.

The total allowable catch for U.S. Areas 7 and 7A was 120,000, based on a total chum harvest in Johnstone Strait which exceeded 225,000 fish. The total commercial catch for this fishery in 1991 was 137,000 chum. This fishery was managed to maintain a traditional fishing pattern with both areas opened simultaneously. However, the U.S. catch in Areas 7 and 7A was disproportionately harvested with 70% of the total taken in Area 7A. The traditional proportion is an even distribution of catch between the two areas.

4. In 1991, the U.S. was to maintain the limited effort nature of its chum fishery in U.S. Areas 4B, 5, and 6C to minimize increased interceptions of Canadian chum. In addition, the U.S. was to monitor this fishery for increasing interceptions of Canadian chum.

The U.S. chum fishery in the Strait of Juan de Fuca (Areas 4B, 5, and 6C) was limited, as it has been in past years, to participation by gillnet fishers from the four tribes that fish in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The commercial catch of 49,500 chum was within 5% of the Strait harvests of the last two years. Genetic Stock Identification (GSI) samples were taken. However, the technical committee has not addressed the issue of whether increased interceptions were minimized.

5. When the catch of chum salmon in U.S. Areas 7 and 7A fails to achieve the specified ceiling, the ceiling in subsequent years will be adjusted accordingly.

The U.S. Area 7 and 7A fishery exceeded the 1991 ceiling by 18,000 fish. Thus, a future adjustment will be required (Table 1).

Table 1. Summary of U.S. Treaty chum allocations and catches for Areas 7 & &A, 1986-1991.

1. Takes into account underages or overages from previous years.

2. 1990 accumulated U.S. shortfall foregone through P.S.C. agreement.

6. Catch compositions in fisheries covered by this chapter were to be estimated post-season using methods agreed upon by the Joint Chum Technical Committee.

Fisheries covered by this chapter were sampled, and estimates were provided to the Joint Interception Committee. However, methods for estimating stock composition are under continuing review by the Committee.

7. In 1991, Canada was to manage the Nitinat net chum fishery to minimize the harvest of non-targeted stocks.

The boundaries of the Nitinat fishery were expanded in 1991 to include a portion of Area 20-1. Canada conducted GSI sampling to quantify the incidence of interceptions of passing stocks in Area 121. Additional GSI samples were not collected from Area 20-1. The technical committee has not determined whether the harvest of non-target stocks has been minimized.

8. In 1991, Canada was to conduct GSI sampling of West Coast Vancouver Island troll fishery (Areas 121-124) if catch levels were predicted to reach levels similar to those in 1985 and 1986.

Early season catch information from the West Coast Vancouver Island troll fishery did not indicate that the season's total chum catches would reach 1985 and 1986 levels. As a result, Canada did not conduct GSI sampling of this fishery.

9. As per the Pacific Salmon Treaty Letters of Transmittal dated May 17, 1991, paragraph 3.c.iii, the Pacific Salmon Commission agreed that the U.S. would not harvest the cumulative chum salmon shortfall through 1990 in Areas 7 and 7A.

A cumulative catch shortfall of 756 fish in the U.S. Area 7 and 7A fishery was foregone when setting the 1991 ceiling.