Operational Plan Kenai River Chinook Salmon Creel Survey And Inriver Netting Study 2021 2023 PDF Download

The purpose of this project is to determine Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha harvest by sport anglers on the Situk River and the age components of that harvest. Additionally, sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka harvest will be determined and various methods of angler use patterns for both species will be recorded. Creel sampling techniques will be used to collect catch, harvest, effort and biological information from the Situk River for this purpose. This information is used to manage for the Chinook salmon biological escapement goal for the Situk River as per the Situk-Ahrnklin and Lost River Chinook salmon Management Plan, along with achieving the Situk River sockeye salmon biological escapement goal. Inriver abundance for both Situk River Chinook and sockeye is obtained from another project with a fish weir, and escapement is calculated by subtracting the above-weir sport harvest estimate of this project from that weir count. Additionally, the Chinook salmon age component information of the harvest gathered here is required for yearly stock assessment models to predict the following years run and set preseason management regulations.