This project is designed to estimate the total abundance of chum, sockeye, and coho salmon in the Kuskokwim River upstream from Kalskag using mark-recapture techniques. Fish wheels and drift gillnets will capture salmon at locations near Kalskag and just below Aniak. Marked fish will receive a primary spaghetti tag and a secondary mark. Other biological data will be collected (length, sex, and subsample for age) from each tagged fish. Weirs on upriver tributaries (George River, Takotna River, Tatlawiksuk River, and Kogrukluk River) will be used to recover marked salmon. This mark-recapture project began in 2001 with coho salmon and was expanded in 2002 to include chum and sockeye salmon and will continue a time series of abundance estimates to assess the state of salmon stocks, provide inseason abundance estimates for chum salmon, and establish run timing for specific stocks past the release site for use in fishery management decisions.
1. Estimate the abundance of chum, sockeye, and coho salmon in the Kuskokwim River upstream of Kalskag, (river km 310) with a relative precision (coefficient of variation) for the estimate of less than 20%.
2. Estimate inseason abundance of chum salmon in the Kuskokwim River upstream of Kalskag, (river km 310) with a relative precision for the estimate of less than 30%.
3. Estimate the age composition of chum and sockeye salmon in the Kuskokwim River upstream of Kalskag. (±5% with 95% confidence)
4. Estimate run timing past Kalskag of the stocks monitored at tributary weirs.
5. Estimate average travel between capture at Kalskag and recapture at weirs for chum, sockeye, and coho salmon.
David Cannon
Dcannon4kna@aol.com
Kuskokwim Native Association
907-675-4384
Kuskokwim Native Association
PO Box 127
Aniak
AK
99557
Toshihide Hamazaki
toshihida_hamazaki@fishgame.state.ak.us
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
907-267-2158
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
333 Raspberry Road
Anchorage
AK
99518
Carol Kerkvliet
carol_kerkvliet@fishgame.state.ak.us
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
907-267-2379
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
333 Raspberry Rd
Anchorage
AK
99518
A Final Report is available for this project: Click to view
A Project Authorization Statement is available for this project: Click to view
The following Semi Annual Progress Reports are available
July 2003
January 2004
July 2004
First Year Funding: $198,217.00
Second Year Funding:
Third Year Funding:
Fourth Year Funding:
Fields of Expertise |
| Biological Science |
| Population Biology - 26 Other Projects |
| Physical Science |
| Socio/Economic |
Professional Activity |
Ecosystems |
| Freshwater – Rivers/Streams - 45 Other Projects |
Ecosystem Components |
| Fish - 51 Other Projects |
| Species Groups |
| Anadromous salmonids - 51 Other Projects |
| Chum - 24 Other Projects |
| Coho - 17 Other Projects |
| Sockeye - 9 Other Projects |
| Specific research issues |
| Distribution and abundance - 21 Other Projects |
Geographic Regions |
| Kuskokwim River Watershed - 22 Other Projects |
Technological Expertise/Lab Methods |
| Lab Methods |
| Technology |
| Other Tagging - 1 Other Projects |
Modeling |
| Method |
| Type |
Physical Science Specialties Areas |
Management/Policy/Social |
| Commercial fisheries - 18 Other Projects |