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Fraser River sockeye salmon: data synthesis and cumulative impacts

Fraser River sockeye salmon: data synthesis and cumulative impacts

Fraser River sockeye salmon: data synthesis and cumulative impacts

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1.0 Introduction1.1 Project ObjectivesOur work was organized around five objectives: workshop facilitation, <strong>data</strong> <strong>synthesis</strong> <strong>and</strong>integration, integrative analyses of <strong>cumulative</strong> <strong>impacts</strong> based on the ten technical reportscompleted to date for the Commission (the Aquaculture Report is still in progress), quantitativeanalyses of <strong>cumulative</strong> <strong>impacts</strong>, <strong>and</strong> clear communication. Each of these objectives is describedbelow.1. Workshop Facilitation. We organized <strong>and</strong> facilitated a science workshop (Nov. 30 – Dec. 1,2010) including presentations from all research groups, feedback <strong>and</strong> discussion from allresearchers <strong>and</strong> peer reviewers, <strong>and</strong> interactive discussion of linkages <strong>and</strong> interactions among allresearch projects. The results of this workshop are summarized in Appendix 6.2. Data Synthesis <strong>and</strong> Integration. Our first task under this objective was to assemble <strong>data</strong> onproductivity 4 <strong>and</strong> stressor metrics from all research projects, through development of a <strong>data</strong>template sent to all researchers, <strong>and</strong> assistance to these scientists on organizing their <strong>data</strong>.. Oncereceived, we then organized these <strong>data</strong> into an integrated format to support statistical analyses(i.e., a linked <strong>data</strong>base associating productivity indices for different stocks with <strong>data</strong> on stressorsfrom appropriate locations, stocks, years <strong>and</strong> time periods). This <strong>data</strong>base was designed to beexp<strong>and</strong>able in future to include other <strong>data</strong> sets that were not available in time for this project(e.g., information on aquaculture).3. Integrative Analyses of Cumulative Impacts. We first developed integrative frameworks fororganizing <strong>and</strong> analysing potential <strong>cumulative</strong> <strong>impacts</strong>, based on a life history approach. Oursecond task was to summarize patterns in <strong>Fraser</strong> Sockeye productivity over time <strong>and</strong> space, <strong>and</strong>other indicators relevant to the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>sockeye</strong> fishery, building on the work of Peterman <strong>and</strong>Dorner (2011) <strong>and</strong> other Cohen Commission technical reports. Third, we synthesized the keyfindings from all Cohen Commission technical reports (representing over 2400 pages) within4 Salmon biologists calculate total productivity as the number of mature adults produced per spawner. Mature adults(or recruits) are estimated as the number of fish returning to the coast before the onset of fishing. This estimate isderived by working backwards from the numbers of adults that eventually reached the spawning ground, plus anyen-route mortality between the mouth of the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>and</strong> the spawning ground, plus harvest. The total abundance ofreturning adult <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>sockeye</strong> <strong>salmon</strong> is a product of the number of spawners in the parent generation times theirproductivity. Biologists also estimate juvenile productivity (fry or smolts per spawner), <strong>and</strong> post-juvenileproductivity (mature adults per fry or spawner).1

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