SOMASS CHINOOK BULLETIN # 8 – 2021 Date: September 23, 2021
Somass Chinook Stock Assessment Update Pre-season forecast:
The forecast terminal return of adult Stamp/RCH Chinook to Barkley Sound and Alberni Inlet in 2021 was approximately 133,000 (range 98,000 to 167,000).
In-season forecast: An in-season forecast of 115,000 has been adopted for management purposes.
Chinook Escapement
September 21– 23,017 Stamp Falls – 23,015 Chinook and 14,953 Coho Sproat – 2 Chinook and 4,263 Coho
Somass Sockeye Escapement September 21 – 282,676
Catch Estimate: 82,158
Somass First Nations – 33,425
Recreational – 20,471
Maa-nulth First Nations – 1,790
Area D Gillnet – 15,744
Area B Seine – 9,970
Test Fishery – 688 Stewardship – 70
NEXT WEEK’S FISHING PLANS: (All plans are subject to change depending on weekly meetings)
First Nations
Tsu-ma-uss (Hupacasath, Tseshaht)
Food Social and Ceremonial (FSC) – Hook and line open 7 days a week in Alberni Inlet and between 5:00 am - 9:00 pm daily in the Somass River below Papermill Dam Pool. Non-retention of Sockeye. Gillnet FSC opportunities TBD.
Economic Opportunity (EO) – Open 9:00 am – 1:00 pm Fri Sep 24 below Papermill Dam Pool. Coho and Chum retention for FSC only. Creek mouth boundaries in place to protect local Coho stocks in Kitsucksus Creek, Roger Creek, McCoy Creek. Additional EO opportunities TBD.
Maa-nulth – Open 7 days a week – hook and line, and gillnet. The harvest plan includes the contracting of designated Area D gillnet vessels displaying Maa-nulth identification flags to harvest Chinook and Coho.
Stewardship – No fishery planned.
Commercial
Area D Gillnet – No fishery planned.
Area B Seine – No fishery planned.
Recreational
Chinook conservation measures now in effect (FN0678)
https://notices.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm?pg=view_notice&DOC_ID=247454&ID=all
Stamp River and freshwater sections of the Somass River opened August 25 for Chinook and Coho retention.
See
https://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/tidal-maree/a-s23-eng.html for details
For more information please contact the DFO office in Port Alberni at 250 720-4440