Chignik Regional Aquaculture Assoc.
January 2015 – Newsletter
CONTENTS
Annual Meeting –------------ Page 1
CRAA Website --------------- Page 1
2015 Chignik Forecast – Pages 1-2
Low Smolt Outmigration - Pages 2-3
Black Lake Monitoring - Pages 3-5
CIAP Smolt Grant Update ---- Page 5
Financial Snapshot ----------- Page 5
Salmon Plans & RPT’s -- Pages 6-7
ADF&G Grant for Genetics – Page 7
Pebble Grant Update – Pages 8-9
Board of Fisheries ------ Pages 9-10
Calvin Skonberg Retires -- Page 9
CRAA Election Results --- Pages 9-10
Annual Meeting
This year’s CRAA annual meeting
will again be held at the Westmark
hotel in downtown Anchorage. The
meeting will take place on February
16th & 17th 2015. Interested parties
are encouraged to attend the
informational
presentations
on
th.
Monday, February 16 Presentations
will start around 8:00am. See
CRAA’s website for additional
information.
Last year’s annual CRAA Board of
Directors Meeting was held in
Anchorage at the Westmark hotel on
February 21st & 22nd 2014. The
meeting was well attended with the
following
groups
having
representation: CRAA (9 out of 10
board members & staff present),
ADF&G (Alaska Department of Fish
and Game), UW/FRI (University of
Washington – Fisheries Research
Institute),
ISA
(International
Seafoods of Alaska), & USFS (United
States Fisheries - Subsistence), and
many Chignik fishermen.
The
overall
meeting
was
highly
informational with numerous agency
presentations, and the CRAA BOD
reaffirmed its mission to continue
monitoring the Black Lake system
for geomorphic changes and the
Chignik sockeye salmon smolt
outmigration,
annually.
Sam
Rabung,
ADF&G’s
Hatchery
Programs
Manager,
presented
information centered on the steps
necessary to start a hatchery
program. Minutes from the meeting
are available upon request. Ψ
CRAA Website
Please visit CRAA’s website at
http://chignikregional.com. CRAA
will attempt to keep its website
current with relevant informational
posts.
Also posted are CRAA’s
current board of directors, contact
information,
ongoing
projects,
newsletters, and the goal & mission
statement. Check it out today! Ψ
Better Than Average 2015
Sockeye Fishery Expected
Chignik fishermen can expect a
better than average sockeye salmon
season this year. This is good news as
last year the fishery was nothing
short of a disaster with the absence
of any early-run fishing in the
Chignik waters and elsewhere
including the SEDM and Igvak.
For 2015, ADF&G forecasts a 2.5
million sockeye combined early and
January 2015 CRAA Newsletter
late run (Table 1).
the 2015 Chignik lakes system run
using Chignik smolt and adult return
numbers, and by this method they
project a 3.0 million total run. This
is 0.5 million more than calculated
by ADF&G from adult ocean-age
adult return numbers and ocean
temperature information. While we
are hopeful that the smolt generated
forecast is acurate in 2015, lower
confidence in this forecast is
warranted due to statistical issues
more so than those associated with
the formal FRI and ADF&G forecasts
of 2.85 million and 2.54 million
respectively. Be safe and fish well! Ψ
ADF&G
FRI
ADF&G
Method
Brood
Yr1
Brood
Yr1
Smolt2
Late Run
(Chignik
L.)
Agency
Early Run
(Black L.)
Table 1: 2015 Chignik sockeye salmon
forecast in thousands of fish.
1,320
1,217
1,515
1,335
Total
2,536
2,850
3,030
1: Brood Year Return Data
2: Smolt Outmigration Data
Note: Run = catch + escapement; fishery to be
managed for a 400k early run and 300k late run
escapement
FRI estimates the total run to come
in at 2.85 million. Both the early and
late Chignik runs should offer a
liberal amount of fishing time. The
early run is projected to be about 1.4
million fish strong (ADF&Gs forecast
1.3 million; FRI 1.5 million). The
late run is expected to be slightly
greater than 1.2 million fish (ADF&G
forecast: 1.2 million; FRI’s: 1.3
million).
2014 Salmon Smolt Out
Migration is Lower than
Average
ADF&G
estimated
that
conservatively 4.3 million sockeye
salmon smolt out-migrated from the
Chignik lakes system in 2014. Most
of the migrants entered Chignik
Lagoon in the first two weeks of May,
earlier than average attributed to an
early spring and warmer water
temperatures.
About 66% of the
smolt were age-1’s produced from
the 2012 parent escapement of 712
thousand fish.
33% were age-2
smolt from the 2011 escapement of
754 thousand. Most of the age-1 and
age-2 smolt were less than average in
size and weight.
Based on the Board of Fisheries
allocation plan for Chignik sockeye
salmon, Chignik fishermen should
expect a harvest of 0.7 million early
run fish and 0.8 late run fish for a
total sockeye catch in the Chignik
Management Area of about 1.5
million. This assumes that not only
the forecasts are fairly accurate and
the Igvak and the SEDM fisheries are
properly managed, but that ADF&G
management delivers a 400k early
run escapement and a 300k late run
Chignik escapement which have been
the respective escapement levels
recently reached.
2014 marks the fourth smallest
sockeye smolt migration from the
Chignik lakes system of record. The
average is 14.8 million (1994-2014),
a level more than three times the
conservative 2014 smolt estimate of
4.3 million.
Most of the 2014 smolt that survive
ADF&G has alternatively forecasted
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January 2015 CRAA Newsletter
ocean-rearing can be expected to
return as adults in 2017 at age 1.3’s
and age 2.3’s.
Average ocean
survival from smolt to adult is 25%
for Chignik sockeye salmon.
two gear types is found an alternative
sampling program will need to be
considered and/or a change in the
location of the traps to an area of
greater water velocities so as to
reduce trap avoidance.
Why did so few sockeye salmon
smolt out-migrate from the Chignik
lakes in 2014 as estimated?
Alternatively, did most of the
Chignik smolt migrate well before
the sampling traps were operational
and/or were the traps potentially
selective toward smaller and less
vigorous fish therein missing large
smolt? Ample evidence exists that
some smolt migrated in 2014 before
the traps were fishing on 1 May
based on the numbers of fish caught
in the first week.
A time-series
analysis by the Department indicates
that about 1 million smolt exited in
late April which is included in the 4.3
million estimate. Food availability in
the two Chignik lakes does not
appear to be a major factor in the low
smolt numbers as zooplankton levels
were essentially normal through the
2013 growing season.
The
abundance of competitor species
including pond smelt and stickleback
likely limited smolt survival and
growth coupled with the mild winter
conditions of 2014 which expectedly
resulted in a greater energy
expenditure and higher winter
mortality. The question of possible
trap selectivity is a concern, and for
the 2015 season CRAA has asked that
a fyke net be deployed behind the
Chignik weir on a few of the same
nights when age, length, and weight
data samples are collected at the
traps upriver.
If a significant
difference in fish size between the
Often it is asked whether it necessary
to annually sample/quantify Chignik
smolt? Yes, if the intent is manage
the Chignik lakes for optimum
sockeye salmon sustainability. Smolt
numbers
and
their
growth
characteristics measure the health of
the
lake
system
and
the
consequences
of
changes
in
escapement levels and natural
habitat such as the 25-40% volume
reduction that has occurred at Black
Lake since the mid 1960’s. The smolt
program is an investment. Absent of
smolt monitoring it would not be
possible to determine how the
Chignik lakes system is responding
to changes at BL and elsewhere in
the system including escapement
levels but also how well Chignik
sockeye are faring in the ocean
environment. Another benefit of
smolt monitoring is that the data
provides a tool for forecasting future
runs well in advance of the more
typical method using adult brood
table data like the relationship
between 2-ocean and 3-ocean age
adults. Ψ
UW-FRI Black Lake/ Black
River/ Alec River Monitoring
in 2014
by Tim Walsworth
The University of Washington – FRI
continued to monitor geomorphic
changes in Black Lake, Black River,
and the Alec River in the summer of
2014. In summary, major winter
3
January 2015 CRAA Newsletter
flooding
appeared
to
move
sediments in both the Alec and Black
Rivers, putting more discharge into
the South Alec Channel relative to
the North Alec Channel, and
lowering river bed elevation in reach
3 of the Black River. However, while
Black Lake surface elevation was low
throughout summer of 2014, the lake
elevation was within the range
observed in recent years, suggesting
no loss of rearing capacity for
juvenile salmon.
Additionally,
FRI
researchers
conducted cross-section analyses of
the Reach 3 section of the Black
River (between the outlet of Black
Lake and the confluence with
Chiaktuak/Red
Salmon
Creek).
Three cross sections were analyzed
with laser level to determine river
bed
elevation.
Cross-section
measurements
tied
to
USGS
Elevation Markers indicated that
channel and thalweg elevations had
dropped at each location, likely
resulting from sediment movement
during major winter flood events.
Cross-section measurements will be
repeated during summer 2015 to
confirm these observations
Black Lake water elevation was
monitored in the outlet bay of the
lake thus extending the data
collection started by the Army Corps
of
Engineers.
Black
Lake
experienced two large floods in the
winter of 2014, demonstrating the
highest water surface elevations
measured
since
2010
when
continuous lake level monitoring
began. During these floods the
surface of Black Lake increased
approximately 4 feet above the
average water levels observed in
recent winters. However, low winter
snowpack led to low water levels
throughout the summer, with very
little snowmelt flood pulse. While
water levels at the beginning of the
summer were nearly as low as the
end of summer 2013, they held
relatively stable throughout the
summer, declining slowly until the
end of August when lake level loggers
were last downloaded and relaunched. Lake surface elevations
remained within the range observed
in recent years throughout the
summer. Lake level monitoring is
ongoing and will continue through
2016.
Alec River discharge was sampled
repeatedly throughout summer 2014
and has now occurred for seven
consecutive years. The percent of
discharge in each of the North and
South Alec River Channels has
demonstrated a historic shift towards
more flow in the south channel,
particularly during low flow periods.
As there was not a significant
snowmelt flood in 2014, total
discharge remained near the low end
of the range of discharges detected in
the previous seven years. More than
60% of Alec River discharge flowed
through
the
South
Channel
throughout the summer, and the
highest proportion of water in the
South Channel relative to the North
Channel since 2009 was detected in
2014. Sediment movement from
winter flood events likely piled
sediment at the entrance to the
North Alec Channel, as indicated by
larger sand bars than previous years
at the entrance to the North Alec
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January 2015 CRAA Newsletter
Channel. Ψ
Program (CIAP) provides federal
grant funds derived from federal
offshore oil lease revenues to oil
producing states for conservation,
protection, or restoration of coastal
areas including wetlands for the
mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife,
or natural resources. Alaska has a
Statewide CIAP plan that includes
distributions to the Lake and
Peninsula Borough. As part of the
Borough’s plan on how to use CIAP
funds, they have included funding
Chignik smolt studies. Ψ
CIAP Grant Project Update
This project has been successfully
completed and the grant funds have
been received.
In August 2012 the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS) approved
CRAA’s grant application for a
Biological Assessment of Rapid
Habitat Evolution in the Chignik
Lakes System, in the amount of
$107,800.00. This Coastal Impact
Assistance Grant was used by the
State of Alaska, Lake and Peninsula
Borough, and CRAA to perform a
biological assessment that would
advance the cause of the long range
project to ensure and mitigate the
impact that the reduced volume at
Black Lake is having on area fish,
wildlife, and other natural resources
in the Chignik area.
Financial Snapshot
CRAA received state grant funding
amounting to roughly $619k which
was paid on July 31st, 2014.
Annually, CRAA spends on average
about $80k internally for meetings,
office space, staff salaries, supplies,
and miscellaneous expenses, and
spends about $125k for external
contract
services
(consulting,
contracted services, studies, and
projects). CRAA is always exploring
alternative funding sources in the
form of grants to offset annual
expenses, most notably the spring
smolt study. Recently, CRAA has
secured grants from the Pebble
Partnership
Fund
(35k)
and
CIAP(107k) to help offset the cost of
the smolt study, the overlap-period
genetic study, and the video
monitoring of the escapement
counts. Over the past five years,
CRAA's operating budget has been
scrutinized to insure financial
prudence, accountability, and the
best possible return on the funds
expended. Ψ
The CIAP grant helped fund the 2013
and 2014 seasons of enumerating
out-migrating sockeye smolt and
CRAA has recently received the grant
funds in the amount of $107,800.
ADF&G, which CRAA contracted to
conduct the study, will be presenting
the findings of the 2014 smolt study
along with information on current
sockeye fry rearing conditions in
Black and Chignik lakes at the
upcoming CRAA annual meeting in
Anchorage on February 16. The 2013
smolt report is available online at
http://chignikregional.com and the
2014 smolt report will be available
when the draft report is finalized by
about mid-March.
The
Coastal
Impact
Assistance
5
January 2015 CRAA Newsletter
Comprehensive Salmon
Plans & the RPT Process
enhancement
services
(conduct
business, operate an enhancement
project).
by Sam Rabung
The first step in developing a salmon
fishery enhancement program is the
drafting of a CSP by the RPT. This
ensures that enhancement activities
are developed and supported locally,
utilizing local and traditional
knowledge, and based on meeting
the needs of the region. These plans
also document enhancement efforts,
set production goals, and identify
potential for new projects. The RPT
plays a coordinating role in the
fisheries enhancement program by
developing CSPs that establish
production goals, objectives, and
guidelines that are reflective of the
desires of salmon users within the
region.
The RPT additionally
provides oversight to insure that
proposed projects are consistent with
the CSP and that they will provide
public benefits without significant
negative effects on natural stocks.
RPTs typically meet one to two times
per year and make recommendations
to the commissioner regarding the
CSP, hatchery permit applications
and permit alteration requests,
annual management plans, and some
fish resource permits (FRP).
The intent of the salmon fisheries
enhancement program in Alaska is to
provide benefit to the public through
additional harvest opportunities for
salmon fisheries without adversely
affecting the production and harvest
of naturally occurring stocks. The
authorization and guidance for the
program are addressed in Alaska
statutes, regulations, and policies.
Alaska’s modern salmon fisheries
enhancement program is stakeholder
driven, with provisions for planning
and oversight by representatives of
regional user groups.
To facilitate this, the state is divided
into several salmon planning regions
designated by the commissioner of
the Alaska Department of Fish and
Game (ADF&G). Each region has one
Regional Aquaculture Association
(RAA)
authorized
by
the
commissioner. Regional salmon
fishery enhancement efforts are
guided by Regional Comprehensive
Salmon Plans (CSP), which are
prepared by each region’s Regional
Planning Team (RPT). The RPT
consists of six voting members; three
are ADF&G personnel appointed by
the commissioner, and three are
appointed by the board of directors
of the qualified RAA for the region.
The RAA serves in an advisory
capacity to the commissioner
regarding
salmon
fishery
enhancement activity within the
region through participation on the
RPT.
If the RAA becomes a
nonprofit corporation (per AS 10.20)
it may provide salmon fishery
Nearly all of the established regions
have CSPs in place, however, many
are out of date and no longer reflect
current conditions and desires of
fishery stakeholders. CSPs are
intended to be adaptive to the
changing situations and needs of a
region and so may be amended or
updated as often as is deemed
necessary by the RPT. The process
of drafting or updating a CSP is
6
January 2015 CRAA Newsletter
Grant Awarded for Genetic
Sampling Chignik’s
Two Sockeye Runs
unique to each RPT with the
exception of the requirement for
ADF&G and public reviews, and final
approval
by
the
ADF&G
Commissioner. Typically, the RPT
will contract an individual to draft
the plan subject to guidance and
approval by the RPT at scheduled
meetings. All RPT meetings are
open to the public and must have
public notice.
Additional public
outreach during CSP drafting often
entails public meetings held in
communities within the region to
solicit stakeholder input, postal
surveys, and a public review and
comment period. This process can
take from several months to years,
depending upon the amount of
drafting necessary, the level of
involvement by stakeholders, and the
available financial support for the
work.
ADF&G has received a three-year
federal grant to fund genetic
sampling of the two Chignik sockeye
salmon runs in-season from late
June through early July, the time
when the Black Lake and the Chignik
Lake stocks overlap.
This is a plus for Chignik. Separating
the two Chignik sockeye runs inseason using real-time genetic
results rather than assuming a
constant July 4th transition date from
one year to the next will provide
accurate information for day-to-day
management of the two sockeye runs
thereby
ensuring
proper
escapements and that surpluses are
readily available to local subsistence
users and the commercial fishery. Of
further advantage is that neither
ADF&G nor CRAA will be saddled
with any expenses for sampling or
the analysis.
Once a CSP is approved, it serves as a
guide to appropriate salmon fishery
enhancement efforts for the region.
Marybeth
Loewen
with
the
assistance of Birch Foster (both
ADF&G research biologists) were
responsible for securing funding for
six genetic sampling events each
season for the next three seasons
starting this year (2015).
Sam is the hatchery program
coordinator for the State of Alaska.
Sam has long worked statewide in
the aquaculture field and is known
as the “go-to-man” for how the State
works with regional aquaculture
associations
through
regional
planning
teams
to
update
comprehensive salmon plans and
planning, permitting and building
salmon hatcheries. Ψ
On behalf of those that depend on
Chignik’s two sockeye runs, CRAA
staff thanks ADF&G for securing this
grant. Ψ
7
January 2015 CRAA Newsletter
Pebble Grant Project Update
own estimates. This results in public
doubt about the accuracy and
trustworthiness of ADF&G’s method
of counting fish. ADF&G employs
underwater video cameras that
continuously record the salmon
passing through two weir gates that
are open 24 hours a day. The basic
idea behind this project is that when
the live video from those weir
cameras is live streamed to the
public that fishermen would then be
able to see what the biologists are
seeing at virtually the same time as
they are seeing it. That would give
the public a powerful tool to compare
their own personal ways of
estimating how many fish are
moving through the weir with what
they can see moving through the weir
on the weir cameras.
Chignik Lake Village has partnered
with CRAA on a $35,000 Pebble
grant project titled “Improving
Chignik
Salmon
Management
through In-Season Genetics & Live
Streaming the Weir Escapement”
that was awarded on October 16,
2013. CRAA has administered the
grant for the Village, subcontracted
the in-season genetics to the ADF&G
and prepared the grant reports to the
Pebble Fund on behalf of the Village.
The Genetic Study
ADF&G completed the 2014 inseason genetic study, and the
information was used in real time
management
decisions
for
optimizing the escapement and
harvest of the first and second runs.
This is a vast improvement over the
assumption that the 50%-50% mark
for the first and second run happens
on July 4 every year.
The
preliminary results are on CRAA’s
website and are shown below:
The underwater cameras record 24/7
and the ADF&G biologists observe
the camera video output during the
first 10 minutes of each hour per gate
and the results are then tabulated.
Those numbers are expanded to a
full hour estimate of the escapement
by multiplying each ten minute count
by six. Since there are two gates in
the weir it takes 20 minutes of
viewing to estimate the escapement
for each hour that the weir is open.
At that rate it takes 8 hours of
counting per day to get the
escapement estimate for one day (10
minutes times 2 cameras times 24
hours equals 8 hours), and that
doesn’t account for adding in the
number of replays necessary to verify
that every fish is counted and the
species identification is correct. The
method described above has been
tested at many counting tower
Video Steaming the Weir counts
Local fishermen often observe that
the escapement counts from the
ADF&G weir are at odds with their
8
January 2015 CRAA Newsletter
locations in Alaska, the closest being
in Bristol Bay and found to be about
95% accurate for gauging, not
necessarily hourly, but total daily
escapement numbers.
Peninsula. The most recent genetic
(WASSIP) study indicates that even
in weak years Chignik sockeye
dominate the catch and local South
Peninsula stocks barely contribute
(>4%).
Options for putting the
brakes on what some call a “pirate
fishery” include: restricting fishing
time; setting an upper harvest limit;
keeping the area closed or severely
restricted when the Chignik harvest
is likely to be less than 300k by July
8th and 600k by July 25th; and
classifying the Dolgoi Island as an
exclusive registration area so as to
block SEDM fishers from fishing
there when the SEDM waters are
closed.
Unfortunately this project of livestreaming of the underwater video
cameras at the weir has proven to be
much
more
challenging
and
expensive
than
originally
anticipated. After a lengthy period
and many conversations with
technology experts, CRAA finally
identified the equipment best suited
for the project.
CRAA selected
microwave technology to beam the
“line of sight” signal from Chignik
Weir to sites in Chignik Lagoon
and/or Chignik Lake. However when
CRAA went to order the equipment,
it found that the equipment was so
popular that the units were on back
order and would not be available
until well into the salmon season.
CRAA then requested a grant
amendment for an extension of the
installation date per the terms of the
grant.
Chignik area proposals to consider
include: re-opening fishing on the
Kupreanof line and redefining pink
and chum salmon management to
promote greater harvest opportunity
while
ensuring
that
proper
escapements but not excessive
escapements are reached, the latter
generally being the norm in recent
years.
Another potential for
advancing
Chignik
fishing
opportunity is for the BOF to
authorize an experimental Pacific
cod fishery with purse seine gear to
operate from about 1 May to early
June under the jig quota which
typically is not used. The intent is to
provide greater opportunity to the
salmon fleet while reducing salmon
fry and smolt predation in the
Chignik nearshore waters.
A
provision that all incidentally caught
salmon be released unharmed would
be beneficial to passage of the
proposal. Ψ
CRAA secured the grant amendment,
purchased the equipment, and is
now looking for partners to
contribute to the cost of installing
the system. Ψ
Deadline Nearing for Area M
and Chignik Board of
Fisheries Proposals
April 10th is the deadline for Board
of Fisheries finfish proposals for
Area M and Chignik both. Several
management changes might well be
worth considering. These include
limiting sockeye harvest in the
Dolgoi Island area of the South
9
January 2015 CRAA Newsletter
George Anderson
Commercial Seat (since 2014)
CRAA Director Retires
CRAA thanks Calvin Skonberg for
his years of dedicated service.
Calvin held one of the six CRAA
commercial seats from 2006
through 2014. His presence and
participation will be greatly
missed. Ψ
Elliot Roger Lind
Commercial Seat (since 2005)
Harry Kalmakoff, Jr.
Native Corporation Seat (since 2007)
Don Bumpus
Local Government Seat (since 2010)
CRAA Election Results
Don Lind
Sport Fish Seat (since 2012)
CRAA’s election for 2015 officers was
certified on January 10th 2015 by a
private CPA firm. Both Ernie
Carlson and George Anderson
retained their commercial seats; both
Don O. Lind and Al Anderson
retained the Sport Fish Seat and the
Subsistence Seat, respectively. All
terms are for three years. Ψ
Clyde Pedersen
Seafood Processor Seat (since 2011)
Disclaimer: Except where otherwise noted
these news articles were written by CRAA
staff: Bruce Barrett, Matt Siemion, and
Chuck McCallum.
Nothing in this
newsletter necessarily reflects the opinions
of individual CRAA directors.
CRAA’s Board of Directors
and Staff - 2015
Charles McCallum
Chief Executive Officer (since 1990)
Bruce Barrett
Chief Biological Consultant
(since 2001)
Chignik Regional
Aquaculture Association
Al Anderson
Subsistence Seat & Vice President
(since 1991)
Box 46 Chignik, AK 99564
or
Matt Siemion
Commercial Seat & Secretary &
Treasurer (since 1997)
2731 Meridian Street suite B, Bellingham, WA 98225
Tel: (360) 647-2401
chuckmccallum@gmail.com
H. Gary Anderson
Commercial Seat (since 1994)
(907) 351-9107 (Chuck’s Cell)
Paul Johnson
Commercial Seat
(1994-2009 & since 2013)
Ernie Carlson
Commercial Seat (1991-2004 & since
2009)
10