MSI: Coho Indicator Stock
The Auke Creek coho salmon program, a cooperative effort with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), serves as a key indicator stock for salmon management in Southeast Alaska. The project involves annual operation of a fish counting weir at Auke Creek where the entire run of migrant smolts leaving the stream and returning adults are counted along with biological information on age structure and run timing. All Auke Creek coho salmon smolts have been tagged with coded wire tag for the past 30 years. In-season sampling of commercial fisheries for tagged coho salmon from Auke Creek provides valuable information about the exploitation by commercial troll, net, and sport fisheries in Southeast Alaska. Continued monitoring of this population is important for reliable assessment of the overall conservation and management of coho stocks and fisheries in this region.
The data set from Auke Creek is the longest, continuous information base on a wild coho salmon run in the world. Smolt survival, jack and adult returns, escapements, commercial catch, and exploitation rates are estimated annually from the coded wire tagging program. Marine survivals from smolt to jack returns have ranged from 0.4 to 11.2%, and survivals to adults have ranged from 8 to 37%. Fishery exploitation has ranged from 20 to 57% of the returning adults. NOAA scientists maintain this important source of vital information through operation and management of the Auke Creek Weir over 270 days annually on a 24 hour, 7 day/week basis.
Contact:
Jerry Taylor
Auke Bay Laboratories
Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries
Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute
17109 Pt Lena Loop Rd
Juneau AK 99801
(907) 789-6042
Jerry.Taylor@noaa.gov
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