More Good Chinook Salmon News !!!

[Tofinofish]

With an excellent start to the Salmon fishing season on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, this recent news from the Pacific Salmon Commision only makes it better.
We are regularily seeing Chinook Salmon in the 20 lb range through late March, with a few in the mid 20's. With late April, May and June anticipated to be very strong fishing for Chinook on B.C.'s southern coast. To follow up an outstanding Salmon fishing season in 2010, this recent news only helps substantiate the forecast for 2011.
Note; This info only pertains to Chinook Salmon, and doesn't include the great forecast for Coho, Pink and Sockeye.

Based on the information outlined below, the abundance index and related allowable catch will increase an amazing 38% beyond the numbers from the exceptionally strong season we just had.

We still have prime and shoulder season dates for fishing this season if any of this information piques your interest.

Regardless of where you fish on the coast this year, it is looking like the Ocean survival rates and Marine conditions coast wide are going to support banner fisheries.



Pacific Salmon Commission



DATE: March 30, 2011

SUBJECT: Preseason AABM Fishery Abundance Indices for 2011 and Post-Season Abundance Indices for 2010

The Chinook Technical Committee (CTC) has completed a final calibration (#1106) of the Chinook Model for the upcoming (2011) fishing season. The completed calibration provides the Abundance Indices (AI) that are required for determining the preseason estimated allowable catches for the three Aggregate Abundance Based Management (AABM) fisheries: Southeast Alaska all gear (SEAK), Northern British Columbia troll and Queen Charlotte Island sport (NBC), and West Coast Vancouver Island troll and outside sport (WCVI). The AIs and the associated allowable catches are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Abundance indices and associated allowable catches for the 2011 AABM Fisheries.
SEAK NBC WCVI
Abundance Index 1.69 1.38 1.15
Allowable Catch 294,800 182,400 196,800

The 2010 Preseason and Post-Season AIs, associated allowable catches and the observed catches for the AABM fisheries are shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Preseason and Post-Season Abundance indices, associated allowable catches and the observed catches for the 2010 AABM fisheries.
Preseason
SEAK NBC WCVI
Abundance Index 1.35 1.17 0.96
Allowable Catch 221,800 152,100 143,700
Actual
Observed Catch 227,720 136,613 139,047
Post-Season
Abundance Index 1.31 1.23 0.95
Allowable Catch 215,800 160,400 142,300

The CTC is currently preparing a PSC document that will contain the Chinook salmon catches and escapements through 2010, which the CTC plans to finalize by June, 2011. The CTC will also prepare a PSC document containing the results of the exploitation rate analysis and model calibration for 2011. This report will also contain the Post-Season AIs for the AABM fisheries and non-ceiling indices for the Individual Stock Based Management (ISBM) fisheries. The CTC is scheduled to finalize this report by August, 2011.

J.