FY 2021 SRSC Implementation and Monitoring of Skagit Salmon Recovery Goals: Test Fisheries

During the reporting period, we conducted test fisheries over 3 river miles at Blakes drift in the lower Skagit river. The Chinook test fishery was conducted one day/week June-August in two 3-hour segments that begin with each high tide, and the Coho/Chum test fishery was conducted August-November for 12 hours/week following the afternoon high tide. We recorded the number of each species caught by day, their length, sex, and mark status, and collected scale samples and coded wire tags (CWTs). We read coded wire tags collected and reported information in an Access database.



During 5/2/2022-8/22/2022, we conducted 19 test fisheries for Chinook Salmon. We caught 129 Chinook Salmon (6 adipose-clipped without CWT, 5 adipose-clipped with CWT, and 4 unmarked with CWT). During 9/12/2022-10/24/2022, we conducted 8 test fisheries for Coho and Chum Salmon. We caught 526 Coho Salmon (111 marked and/or CWT; 19 CWT) and 48 Chum Salmon.



During 2023 we were unable to begin Chinook test fisheries until 6/7/2023 due to fishery conflicts as commercial fisheries were being conducted 4-7 days a week. During 6/7/2023- 8/21/2023, we conducted 12 test fisheries for Chinook Salmon. We caught 46 Chinook Salmon (3 adipose-clipped without CWT, 0 CWT).



During 8/27/2023-9/30/2023, we conducted 5 test fisheries for Coho Salmon. We caught 271 Coho Salmon (15 adipose-clipped without CWT, 6 adipose-clipped with CWT, and 13 unmarked with CWT) and 2 Chum salmon. This test fishery will continue until 10/30/2023.

The test fishery provides information that addresses all major categories of limiting factors: habitat, harvest, and artificial production. All project objectives associated with test fisheries align with NOAA priorities 1, 2, and 3 for CY2022-2023. Limiting factors affecting the recovery goals of Puget Sound salmon stocks include habitat, harvest, and artificial production. All project objectives associated with test fisheries will provide invaluable information that will allow quantitative assessments of whether management decisions or actions within each category are having positive or negative effects on the productivity of target stocks of ESA. Therefore, management decisions related to each limiting factor category can be adaptively altered based on the outcome of analyses of data from test fisheries.