Slide 1

Wild Steelhead Stock S t a t u s BC 2004... Slide 2 British Columbia in Perspective 1200 km (720 mi) south to north 500-1000 km (300 600 mi) wide 950,000 sq km (367,000 sq mi) 75% mountains; 60% forested; 10% farmland and lakes; Guesstimates of Abundance Stock Type Number of Stocks < 500 500 - 1000 > 1000 WSH418206 CSSH402(1) ISSH501111 All5593318 Slide 6 Abundance (contd) Stock Type Abundance Winter Steelhead 225,000 Coastal Summer Steelhead 25,000 Interior Summer Steelhead 90,000 All340,000 Slide 7 Hatcheries in Perspective Slide 8 Number of Streams Stocked with Steelhead Juveniles Originating From Wild Brood Stock (F=fry, S=smolt) Time Island Mainland Thompson Cariboo Skeena All Period F S F S F S F S F S F S Time Island Mainland Thompson Cariboo Skeena All Period F S F S F S F S F S F S < 1975 1 3 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 5 < 1975 1 3 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 5 197584 11 15 14 8 1 1 2 0 4 1 32 25 197584 11 15 14 8 1 1 2 0 4 1 32 25 198594 19 17 18 19 1 1 3 0 8 1 49 38 198594 19 17 18 19 1 1 3 0 8 1 49 38 199501 11 10 6 14 1 0 0 0 0 1 18 25 199501 11 10 6 14 1 0 0 0 0 1 18 25 2002 9 9 0? 8 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 18 2002 9 9 0? 8 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 18 Slide 9 Steelhead Releases 1975 - 2001 Steelhead Releases 1975 - 2001 Period Av # Fry Av # Smolts Period Av # Fry Av # Smolts 1975-79.07M.07M 1975-79.07M.07M 1980-84 1.03M.60M 1980-84 1.03M.60M 1985-89 1.59M.91M 1985-89 1.59M.91M 1990-94.73M.82M 1990-94.73M.82M 1995-99.26M.63M 1995-99.26M.63M 2000-01.09M.38M 2000-01.09M.38M Slide 10 Stock Assessment Methods Total Counts Weirs/resistivity counters (Keogh, Deadman, Sustut, Kitwanga) Indices of Abundance Gillnet test fisheries (Fraser, Skeena) Fishwheels (Nass) Snorkel observations (some total counts) Aerial Counts (Chilko) Juvenile sampling Slide 11 Slide 12 Nass River Watershed Nass Lake Damdochax Creek Kwinageese River Cranberry River White River Meziadin Lake Bowser Lake Bell-Irving River Kiteen River Grease Harbour Tchitin River New Aiyansh Tseax River Canyon City (Gitwinksihlkw) Greenville (Lakalzap) Ishkeenickh River Kincolith Kincolith River Nass River 50 km N BC Slide 13 Fishwheel Locations Kwinageese River Cranberry River White River Meziadin Lake Kiteen River Grease Harbour Tchitin River New Aiyansh Tseax River Canyon City (Gitwinksihlkw) Greenville (Lakalzap) Ishkeenickh River Kincolith Kincolith River Nass River 50 km N Slide 14 Nass River Fishwheels 6 wheels operated annually Mainly for stock assessment Late May to late September Now operated as the sole in- season salmon indicator for the Nass Slide 15 Slide 16 Nass Steelhead Escapement (1994-2003) Slide 17 Tyee Test Fishery Location N 0 6 km Porcher Island Kennedy Island Smith Island Digby Island Kaien Island Chatham Sound Prince Rupert Port Edward Ecstall River Khyex River Skeena River Tyee Test Fishery BC Slide 18 Tyee Test Fishing Site SKEENA RIVER Khyex River Highway 16 Port Essignton Lookout Tyee Bank Ecstall River Khyex Bank Tyee Test Fishing Site Slide 19 Skeena Test Fishery Index 1956-2003 Slide 20 Tyee Test Fishery 2003 Slide 21 Upper Sustut River Watershed Skeena River Birdflat Creek Sustut River Bear Lake Bear River Asitka River Red Creek Johanson Creek Johanson Lake Moosevale Creek Two Lake Creek Sustut Lake Study Area N Scale: Approximately 1:340,000 Weir Location Slide 22 Upper Sustut River Weir Slide 23 Sustut Weir Counts Estimated K = ~1100 Slide 24 Albion Test Fishery Slide 25 Trends in Chilko Slide 26 Deadman Creek Resistivity Counter Slide 27 Trends in Deadman Slide 28 Trends in Bonaparte Slide 29 Trends in Nicola Slide 30 Slide 31 Central Coast Index Bella Coola Slide 32 Lower Fraser CSSH Index Slide 33 WILD STEELHEAD RETURNS TO THE KEOGH RIVER 1976 to 2003 Slide 34 The capacity for smolts dropped from 7,000 (>10,000 with nutrient addition) to