Joint Northern Boundary Technical Committee. U.S./Canada Northern Boundary Area 1993 Salmon Fisheries Management Report and 1994 Preliminary Expectations. TCNB (93)-2. November, 1993.

This report reviews: 1) catch, effort, and management actions in the 1993 Northern Boundary Area pink, chum, and sockeye salmon 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 and escapements; and 4) preliminary 1994 expectations and fishing plans for 1994.

In southern Southeast Alaska, the all-gear salmon harvest of 45.5 million was the fourth largest on record behind harvests of 49 million salmon in 1986 and 1989 and 47 million in 1991. The harvest was comprised of 39.2 (86.0%) million pink, 2.7 (5.9%) million chum, 2.3 (5.1%) million sockeye, 1.3 (2.8%) million coho, and 98 (0.2%) thousand chinook salmon. Pink salmon escapements were well distributed and above index goals in all southern Southeast Alaska districts except District 107. Escapement indices totaled 7.88 million or 1.88 million above the 6.0 million escapement target. Escapements of sockeye, chum, and coho salmon were correspondingly strong throughout the region.

In northern British Columbia, pink returns were poor relative to recent years; 2,059,410 pink salmon were harvested in Canadian Area 3 and only 431,926 pinks in the Area 4 fishery. Pink escapements to most areas were near goals. Sockeye returns were very large; 1,202,040 were harvested in Area 3 and 1,575,989 in Area 4. Chum catches were much better than in recent years. Escapement levels for sockeye were again well above target for the Nass and Skeena Rivers. Escapements of summer chum salmon were relatively good in Area 3.

The Pacific Salmon Treaty limits the Alaska District 104 (Noyes Island) purse seine fishery to a four-year total catch (1990-1993) of 480,000 sockeye salmon prior to Statistical Week 31. Under the terms of the agreement, when the annual catch reaches 160,000 sockeye salmon, no further daily fishing periods are allowed prior to week 31. During the first three years of the Annex (1990, 1991 and 1992), 348,169 sockeye were harvested prior to Statistical Week 31. There were three weeks of fishing prior to Statistical Week 31 in 1993. The total sockeye harvest prior to Statistical Week 31 in 1993 was 163,189 fish. This put the total sockeye harvest at the end of the four-year Annex at 511,358, or 31,358 (6.5%) sockeye over the 480,000 Annex limit.

In the Alaska District 101-11 (Tree Point) gillnet fishery the U.S./Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty calls for an average annual harvest, beginning in 1985, of 130,000 sockeye salmon. The 1993 harvest of sockeye salmon at Tree Point was 393,996 fish, the largest sockeye harvest in the history of the fishery. This brings the 1985 to 1993 average to 171,458 sockeye.

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 1993, 1,237,096 pinks were harvested in Management Units 3 (1-4) and 5-11 combined. The current average annual pink harvest from 1985-1993 in the Treaty area is 1,991,416.

The Canadian Area 1 pink troll fishery is managed to an annual ceiling of 1.95 million pinks with a cumulative ceiling of 5.125 million pink salmon for the period 1990-1993. In addition, the area adjacent to the Canada-U.S. boundary in the northern portion of Area 1 closes to pink retention if the pink catch reached 300,000 in this area, or by July 22, should this sub-ceiling not be met. In 1993, the pink catch in the A-B line area reached 264,500 and closed to pink retention July 22. Preliminary saleslips indicate an Area 1 troll catch of 889,900 providing a cumulative catch from 1990-1993 of 4,431,429, which leaves a shortfall of 693,571 from the ceiling.

Strong harvests are forecast for Southeast Alaskan pink salmon in 1994. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game forecasts a harvest of between 38 and 57 million pink salmon in all of Southeast Alaska in 1994. This harvest plus the target escapement of 27 million pink salmon indicates a total return of pink salmon to Southeast Alaska of approximately 65-84 million fish.

In Canada, average sockeye fisheries are anticipated in Area 3 and Area 4 in 1994, while lower than average pink catches are anticipated. The even-year pink run to Canada's Queen Charlotte Islands is expected to provide a modest surplus in 1994.