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

Table 17 Summary of available information on accuracy, precision and reliabilityof the catch monitoring programs used to produce estimates of the harvestof Fraser sockeye for recreational fisheries, 2001-2009.% of Quality of Catch EstimatesLocation Catch Accuracy Precision ReliabilityTidal WatersGeorgia Strait 5% Fair +24-90% MediumJohnstone Strait 2% Unknown NA LowWCVI 0% Unknown Unknown LowNon-Tidal WatersMission-Hope 93% Fair Unknown MediumTotal 100% Fair Unknown MediumTidal Recreational FisheriesMost of the recreational fishing for Fraser sockeye in tidal waters occurs in JohnstoneStrait, Strait of Georgia and Juan de Fuca Strait (Figure 1). There are also recreationalfisheries that harvest sockeye on the West Coast of Vancouver Island (WCVI) and in thetidal waters of Washington State. Recreational fisheries in each of these areas aremonitored and accounted for separately and usually by creel survey methods.Sockeye catches in each of tidal recreational fisheries are not accounted for by stock. Itis assumed that all sockeye caught in the Strait of Georgia and Johnstone Straitrecreational fisheries are of Fraser River origin. Most of the WCVI recreational fisheryfor sockeye occurs in Alberni Inlet and targets local stocks returning to the Somass River.Some portion of the sockeye harvested by anglers in the outer areas of Barkley Soundand other WCVI fisheries are likely Fraser sockeye; however, there are no stockcompositionestimates for the WCVI recreational fishery. The methods used to derive theannual catch estimates for each of these fisheries are provided below.Catch LimitsIn most years when sockeye retention has been permitted in the south coast tidalfisheries, anglers have been permitted to retain four sockeye per day (daily limit). Anexception was 2001, when tidal sport fishers were permitted to retain sockeye subjectonly to a total possession limit of 8 salmon per angler per day (DFO 2001). After 2004,51