SOMASS SOCKEYE BULLETIN # 4 – 2013 Date: July 4, 2013
Somass Sockeye Stock Assessment Update
Pre-season forecast:
Somass (Great Central and Sproat) 350,000 (range: 300,000 to 500,000);
Henderson Lake sockeye outlook ~ 15,000
Escapement to July 1: ~ 113,121 Adults (32,869 Great Central, 80,252 Sproat Lake)
Escapement will be monitored closely through the weekend.
Test Fishery: July 1-2: Estimate 5,000 inside 10-mile Point; 15,000 outside
Expected Somass Stock Composition: 45% Great Central, 55% Sproat Sockeye
Expected Somass Age Composition: 68%, 27%, 4%, and 1% for age 42, 52, 53 and 63 adults, respectively. Age 32 “jacks” sockeye are expected to be abundant.
July 4 reforecast - Runsize remains at 350,000
Catch Estimate: ~ 69,072 adults
Somass First Nations – 31,208
Maanulth First Nations Domestic harvest – 8,366
Recreational - ~ 5,513 (The majority caught at Paper Mill Dam)
Area D Gillnet – 11,250
Area B Seine – 9,128
Test Fish – 3,637
NEXT WEEK'S FISHING PLANS:
First Nations
Tsu-ma-uss (Hupacasath, Tseshaht)
No fisheries planned.
Maa-nulth – July 5 to July 11 The harvest plan includes contracting of designated Area
D Gillnet vessels to harvest sockeye. These vessels will be displaying Maa-nulth identification flags.
Commercial
Area D Gill – No fishery planned.
Area B Seine – No fishery planned.
Recreational
• June 15 until further notice 4 sockeye per day in Area 23 except for the tidal portions of the Somass River which remain at 2 sockeye per day.
• The tidal portions of the Somass River are closed 10 pm to 5 am daily.
• Non retention area for sockeye from Lone Tree to Hoik Island in Alberni Harbour no longer in effect.
For more information please contact the DFO office in Port Alberni at 250 720-4440