Report of the 1987 Alaska chinook salmon workshop

263 Pages·2007·13.46 MB·English

by  Heard, W. R.

( Northwest and
Alaska Fisheries
Center
National Marine
Fisheries Service
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
NWA FC PROCESSED REPORT 88-06
Report
of the 1987 Alaska
Chinook Salmon Workshop
June 1988
CHINOOK SALMON ONCORHYNCHUS TSHAWYTSCHA (Walbaum 1792)
This report does not constitute a publication and is for information
only. All data herein are to be considered provisional.
ERRATA NOTICE

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REPORT OF THE 1987
ALASKA CHINOOK SALMON WORKSHOP
Sponsored by
Alaska Chapter--American Fisheries Society
and
National Marine Fisheries Service
Auke Bay Laboratory
April 14-15, 1987, Centennial Hall, Juneau
Rapporteur:
William R. Heard
Auke Bay Laboratory
Northwest and Alaska Fisheries Center
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
P. O. Box 210155
Auke Bay, Alaska 99821
•
FOREWORD
The objective of the 1987 Alaska chinook salmon workshop is
to promote informal communication among the many groups of people
and individuals interested in this fish in Alaska.
Written material made available by speakers has been
compiled in this report basically unaltered except where noted.
Draft versions of the questions and answers following each
presentation were circulated to the speakers giving papers at the
workshop by the editorial staff at Auke Bay Laboratory to clarify
intent of responses to questions. Text material provided by
participants was retyped whenever necessary to standardize form.
Some tables were also retyped, however, whenever possible the
original tables submitted by authors were used in this report.
All figures are unedited and are those submitted by the authors.
THE CONTENTS OF THIS REPORT ARE NOT TO BE TREATED AS
PUBLISHED MATERIAL. Any reference to these contents should be
approved by the author (s) responsible and cited as a personal
communication.
ii

CHAIRMAN'S REMARKS
This is the fifth workshop held since 1980 to discuss some
of the diverse and complex issues surrounding Alaska chinook
salmon resources and fisheries. Purpose of these events has been
to bring together biologists, managers and researchers for
promoting communication and exchange of ideas on Alaska issues
with this important species. The first "workshop" - more of a
rap session than workshop - involved 10 people talking well into
a February 5, 1980, evening in the Auke Bay Laboratory conference
room. The 1982 workshop involving 28 people was an update of
expanding southeastern chinook issues, particularly the growing
hatchery program. Both the 1980 and 1982 workshops were one-day
events. In 1983, a 2-day session held in a University of Alaska
- Southeast classroom in the Anderson Building expanded the forum
to include chinook issues in other parts of Alaska, especially
Cook Inlet and Kodiak Island. And in 1985, a 2-day workshop in
the UAS Bill Ray Center dealt mostly on southeastern chinook
issues and the impending U.S./Canada salmon treaty.
Attendance has increased at each workshop attesting to
growing interest and need for such a forum. The 1987 event held
April 14-15 in the Juneau Centennial Hall had 77 registered
participants from throughout Alaska and British Columbia. until
now, support for the workshops has been quasi-official from
involved agencies including Auke Bay Laboratory, University of
Alaska, Department of Fish and Game and Northern and Southern
Southeast Regional Aquaculture Associations. This year the
workshop is co-sponsored by the Alaska Chapter - American
Fisheries Society providing a new professionally integrated level
of support and recognition. Al though past workshops have
provided for some exchange of handouts on preliminary data, this
is a first attempt to "formalize" our informal deliberations with
a summary report.
I am indebted to the efforts of many people who helped make
this workshop a productive event. Especially, I would like to
thank Tom Kron, co-chair for the workshop and key Alaska Chapter
, representative on the Steering Committee. Special thanks and
commendations are due moderators Paul Kissner (SF), Bob Burkett
(FRED), Carol Denton (FRED) and Bill Smoker (UAS) for the
efficient and professional conduct of their respective panels.
Invaluable assistance for typing, editorial help, and transcrib
ing portions of audio tapes from the workshop was provided by
Leslie Williams, Cheryl Funaro and Carrita Morris of the Auke Bay
Laboratory. And finally, for those fortunate enough to attend
the workshop picnic at Sandy Beach in Douglas, who can forget the
extraordinary culinary skills of special chefs Brian Allee and
George Snyder for the fine salmon bake ••••. not to mention also
that most appropriate of beverages for the event -- Chinook
Alaska Beer.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
FORE"WORD •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• i i
CHAIRMA.N" 's REMA.RKS ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• iii
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: U.S.jCanada Treaty Chinook Salmon
Management and Enhancement: Is it Realistic?
Mel Seibel ............................................. 1
SESSION I: Chinook Salmon Biology and Life History
Moderator: Paul Kissner, ADF&G, SF, Douglas
Kenai River Juvenile Chinook Salmon, Oncorhynchus
tshawytscha, Studies
Dave Li tchf ield ........................................ 7
Abundance and Distribution of Juvenile Chinook Salmon
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Lower Taku
River, Alaska
Mike Murphy ............................................ 10
Situk River Age-O Chinook Smolts
Paul Kissner ........................................... 19
The Importance of Large Organic Debris for Rearing
Chinook Salmon Habitat
Don S iedelman .......................................... 26
Crooked Creek Chinook Salmon
Dave Wa i te ..............•••.••••••••...............•... 30
Ecological Studies on Chinook Salmon Rearing in the
Susitna River system
Paul Suchanek .......................................... 41
straying of Coded-Wire Tagged Salmon in Southeast
Alaska
Dennis Hubartt ......................................... 46
Size, Age, Origin and Distribution of Juvenile Chinook
Salmon in the Marine waters of Southeastern Alaska
Joe Orsi ............................................... 50
Genetic Relationships of Alaska Chinook Salmon:
Potential For Stock Separation
Tony Gharrett .......................................... 58
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