Chum Salmon Southern Area Genetic Baseline Enhancement

This project is a 4 year joint effort between the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Washington’s Department of Fish and Wildlife to develop and expand upon the genetic baseline for Canadian and US southern Chum stocks.

The primary application of these genetic data is resolving the stock composition of mixed stock fisheries. Genetic baselines will also be used to develop a new fisheries model that incorporates genetic and environmental information to manage fisheries. Other goals include improving the scientific understanding of factors limiting chum salmon recovery and production such as analysis of relative reproductive success of hatchery and wild-origin spawners and the impact of supplementation programs, improved abundance estimations, identifying origins of juvenile chum salmon using coastal nursery areas and other management questions. The data set may also be have utility in identifying southern stocks harvested in other areas, such as the Bering Sea trawl fishery.