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

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tend to be among the most reliable escapement estimates derived for any B.C. salmonstock.In-season Escapement MonitoringA variety of monitoring systems are used in the lower <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> to assess the in-seasonabundance <strong>and</strong> stock composition of sockeye as they escape from the marine fisheries.These systems include: (1) Cottonwood drift gillnet test fishery; (2) Whonnock driftgillnet test fishery; (3) Mission hydroacoustic site; <strong>and</strong> (4) Qualark hydroacoustic site.Whonnock <strong>and</strong> Cottonwood test fisheries are used occasionally to estimate the upstreampassage of sockeye during (1) the Early Stuart time period if the salmon abundance in theriver is too low <strong>and</strong> variable to justify the Mission Hydroacoustics program, <strong>and</strong> (2) thePink migration in September in odd-years when sockeye are caught in low butdisproportionate numbers to Pink salmon. Since the mid-1990s, test fishery catches havebeen impacted severely by salmon predators such as harbour seals. Some mitigation ofthe predation <strong>and</strong> interference by seals has been achieved through the use of anexperimental pulsed, low-voltage DC electric gradient (Forrest et al. 2009).The Cottonwood Test Fishery is conducted at a site in the south arm of the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong>that is approximately 20 km upstream from Steveston, B.C. An index of sockeyeabundance entering the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> is obtained from a single 5-9 minute drift gillnet setmade during slack tide each day. Scale <strong>and</strong> DNA samples are obtained from a portion ofthe sockeye caught each day.The Whonnock Test Fishery is conducted on the <strong>Fraser</strong> mainstem at a location 48 kmupstream from Cottonwood <strong>and</strong> 18 km downstream from the Mission hydroacoustic site.This test fishery conducts two 5-10 minute sets per day using a variable-mesh nonselectivegillnet. The primary purpose of this test fishery is to provide species <strong>and</strong> stockcomposition estimates that can be applied to the Mission hydroacoustic counts to derivestock specific estimates of the number of sockeye passing Mission each day.Mission Hydroacoustic SystemPSC has operated a hydroacoustic facility on the <strong>Fraser</strong> <strong>River</strong> near the Mission Bridgesince 1977, for the purpose of providing timely in-season estimates of sockeyeescapement from marine <strong>and</strong> lower river fisheries (Appendix J). This program has90

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