• HOME
• ABOUT AYK-SSI
• RESEARCH AND FUNDING
• PROJECT DATABASE
• SCIENCE PLANNING

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kuskokwim Area Salmon Research Plan (KASRP)

The Kuskokwim Fisheries Resources Coalition (KFRC) is a grassroots organization formed to cooperatively address fisheries issues in the Kuskokwim Area. The KFRC is composed of representatives from groups involved in salmon fishery issues throughout the region, including local and regional non-profit organizations as well as federal and state agencies. The KFRC is currently developing a sub regional plan to complement the larger AYK Sustainable Salmon Initiative.

This plan, termed the Kuskokwim Area Salmon Research Plan (KASRP), will include a comprehensive effort to synthesize existing fisheries data and to identify priority information needed for sustaining salmon populations. The mission of the plan is to:

"Prepare and implement a long-range comprehensive research plan for the Kuskokwim Area focused on maintenance of wild salmon populations that provides for the natural range of variability in ecosystem function while striving to meet human needs."

The plan will be developed in several steps, each of which requires work products. These steps include:

• Identifying information needs deemed important by the KFRC. What information do partners from within the Kuskokwim Area agree is essential to achieve the mission?
• Identifying projects, both past and present, that have helped to address these needs. What projects are underway or have recently been completed that are relevant to the mission?
• Assessing information gaps. Which information needs have been addressed somewhat, and which ones have not been addressed at all?
• Developing research themes or questions that would effectively address these information gaps. Which overarching themes synthesize multiple information needs and address multiple priorities?
• Describing salmon life histories and use various planning products to place them in the context of the Kuskokwim Area. How do research themes, information gaps, and other products apply to key areas of the freshwater life histories of Kuskokwim Area salmon species?
• From these, develop a plan that will include discuss priorities under different scenarios (timelines and/or funding) and prescribe ways to implement these priorities (including sources of funding and research selection).

All of these products will be developed iteratively and in conjunction with parallel planning processes such as the AYK SSI and the NRC planning initiatives.

Download Reports:

The following three documents have been produced as part of the planning process and are available for review:

• Information Needs and Planning Approach for the Kuskokwim Area Salmon Research Plan [PDF format] - Describes the way in which the KFRC identified, classified, and assigned relative priorities to information needs.
• Final Gap Analysis and Project Database for the Kuskokwim Area Salmon Research Plan (complete report). [PDF format] Final Gap Analysis (executive summary). [PDF format] -A three-part document that 1) Describes the methods and status of a database of projects in the Kuskokwim Area that are relevant to the KASRP, 2) Discusses which priority information needs have been at least partially addressed, and 3) Presents research questions or lines of inquiry that could be developed into the research themes mandated as part of the KASRP.
• Kuskokwim chum salmon life cycle_October update.pdf [PDF format] -A summary of chum salmon life history, by life stage, as it relates to chum from the Kuskokwim Area.

These documents will be revised by the KFRC in the fall of 2004. In the meantime, they remain open to feedback and discussion. The life cycle sections will also be posted to this site as they are completed.

For more information on the Kuskokwim Area Salmon Research Plan, please contact:

Matt Nemeth
KASRP contract planner
LGL Alaska Research Associates, Inc
mnemeth@lgl.com (907) 644-2714

or AYK SSI staff