Fraser River Sockeye Fisheries and Fisheries Management - Cohen ...

sub-dominant cycle years (e.g., 2003), and less than the LEB for the two off-cycle years(e.g., 2000 and 2001).Escapement6,000,0005,000,0004,000,0003,000,0002,000,000LatesEscapement4yr avgInterim TRPInterim LRP1,000,00001960196419681972197619801984198819921996200020042008Figure 19 Escapement and operational reference points for Late-run sockeye. TheLate-run timing group includes six stocks: Late Shuswap (includes Adams,Lower Shuswap), Birkenhead, Weaver, Cultus, Harrison, and Portage, aswell as variable contributions from miscellaneous populations. LateShuswap follow a pronounced 4-year cyclic pattern.As for the other run-timing groups, commercial fisheries are closed or very limited inyears when run sizes approach the LEB and most of the catch is taken in First NationFSC fisheries. In recent years, fishing opportunities in dominant cycle years (e.g., 1998,2002, 2006) have been greatly reduced from historical levels due to conservationconcerns related to Cultus sockeye. The 4-year running average of the annualescapement estimates have been consistently below the LEB for Cultus sockeye since1990 (Figure 20). Prior to 1996, fisheries harvested a substantial portion of the annualreturn for Cultus sockeye but fisheries restrictions implemented in 1998 have resulted invery limited harvests of Cultus sockeye over the past 10 years. In addition to Cultus, theLate-run timing group includes 5 indicator stocks. The LEBs for these other indicatorstocks were compared with the historical escapement estimates and we confirmed that the4-year moving averages of the annual escapement estimates have consistently exceededthe LEBs for each of these stocks since the early 1970s.109