Fishery Notice

The Fraser River Panel met Tuesday, September 11, to receive an update on the 
migration of the Fraser Sockeye runs to date and review the status of migration 
conditions in the Fraser River watershed.	

The Purse Seine test fishery in Area 12 has not been able to fish during the 
last two days due to heavy winds in the area. The current estimate for the 
entire year for the diversion rate through Johnstone Strait is 33% compared to 
the pre-season forecast of 63%. This estimate may be biased low as it does not 
account for the removals from Johnstone Strait by the commercial and First 
Nations fisheries that occurred over the course of the season. Stock 
identification samples from the most recent Area 12 purse seine test fishery on 
September 6 and 7 was comprised of 7% Early Summers, 14% Summer run and 79% 
Late Run stocks.

Gill net test fishery catches in the Fraser River have been steady for the past 
several days with Whonnock catches fluctuating between 18 on September 8 and 44 
on September 10. Cottonwood catches have also fluctuated but at slightly higher 
levels from 22 on September 9 to 88 on September 7. Daily Mission escapement 
estimates have gradually increased from 38,100 on September 7 to 55,500 on 
September 10. The estimated total Sockeye escapement past Mission to September 
10 is 4,005,800. This is comprised of 121,400 Early Stuarts, 1,114,600 Early 
Summers, 2,032,900 Summers and 736,900 Late run fish. Stock identification 
analyses from recent samples taken in the lower Fraser River indicate that 
Early Summers have increased to 16% of the stock composition while Summers 
increased to 32% and Lates decreased to 53% in the most recent below Bridge 
sample. The most recent two samples taken at the Whonnock test fishery was 
comprised of between 2 and 16% Early Summers, 2 and 24% Summers and 61 and 96% 
Late run fish. The current estimate for holding Late Run fish is between 1.8 
and 5.0 million fish.

Pre-season the Fraser Panel adopted management adjustments(MA) for Early Stuart 
based on the historical median for all years, Early Summer based on the 
historical median for dominant years only (2018 cycle) and Summer run Sockeye 
based on the historical median for all years. Model predicted management 
adjustments based on the water discharge and temperature predictions were not 
adopted largely due to the high degree of uncertainty in the temperature 
forecasts and run timing. Management adjustments are additional fish that are 
removed from identified harvest levels and allowed to escape upstream in an 
attempt to assist in achievement of identified escapement objectives for the 
different run timing groups. In-season information over the coming weeks will 
help to inform future decisions on management adjustments for the Early Summer, 
Summer and Late run management groups while the Early Stuart management group 
continues to be managed based on the Low Abundance Exploitation Rate (LAER) of 
10%. It is anticipated the Early Stuart Sockeye return will result in a 
spawning escapement being below goal.

The observed water temperature at Qualark on September 10 was 15.6° Celsius 
which is 0.1° Celsius above average for this date.  The Fraser River discharge 
at Hope on September 10 was 1,495 cubic meters per second which is 35% below 
the average discharge for this date.

During the Panel meeting today the Early Summer run size was increased to 1.8 
million fish from the previously approved 1.7 million with August 6 Area 20 
timing. No change was made to the Summer run size of 4.3 million while a Late 
Run run size of 6.0 million fish was adopted today which was increased from the 
provisional run size of 5.8 million, with an Area 20 timing of August 19 and a 
projected upriver migration date of September 17. This change in upriver 
migration timing resulted in a reduction of the Late Run management adjustment 
from 0.43 to 0.25. No changes were made to Management Adjustments for any of 
the other run timing groups. 

The seventh spawning ground report was released on September 6.  The Scotch 
Creek counting fence was operational on August 9 with 75,487 sockeye enumerated 
to date, the majority of which being in good condition and are at or near to 
peak spawning. The Eagle River Hydroacoustic site was operational on August 10 
with 202,452 fish having been estimated to have passed the site to date.  The 
Nadina Spawning Channel operations continue to be influenced by forest fire in 
the immediate area. About 19,000 fish have entered the spawning channel at this 
time.  The Stellako River hydroacoustic site was operational on August 1 with a 
total of 178,085 sockeye estimated to have passed as of August 28. The majority 
of these fish would be Nadina sockeye at this time. Sockeye have recently been 
observed in Gates Creek with 846 counted into the spawning channel to date. 

The Chilko River hydroacoustics site was operational on August 3 with a total 
of 396,525 sockeye estimated to date. In the Quesnel River the hydroacoustics 
site was operational on August 7 with 664,311 sockeye estimated to date. The 
Stellako River hydroacoustics site was operational on August 1 with 65,775 
Stellako sockeye estimated since August 28. The counting fence at Sweltzer 
Creek was installed on July 31 and 14 Sockeye have been counted into Cultus 
Lake to date. 

Currently, First Nations food, social and ceremonial (FSC) and Economic 
Opportunity Sockeye fisheries are winding down in Marine areas and the lower 
Fraser River.  First Nation fishers in marine approach areas, as well as the 
Fraser River are requested to check for the opening times and any restrictions 
in their local area. 

Retention of sockeye in marine recreational fisheries began on August 1 and 
remains open while the in-river fishery in the lower Fraser River is currently 
closed to retention of sockeye. 

As a result of the increased run size for Late Run fish combined with the 
reduced Management Adjustment, available TAC increased resulting in the 
scheduling of additional commercial fisheries for Areas B, D and H. Please 
refer to fisheries notices for the individual fisheries for further details. 

The next Panel meeting will be on Friday, September 14 at 11am.


FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Regional Salmon Team - DFO Pacific
DFO.PacificSalmonRMT-EGRSaumonduPacifique.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Fisheries & Oceans Operations Center - FN0983
Sent September 11, 2018 at 1455

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Printed from the Pacific Region web site on March 8, 2026 at 0956