Alaska Salmon Research 2010

Abstract

Preseason and inseason forecasting continue to be central features of our fisheries management activities. Preseason forecasts are very important to processors and fishermen for planning their capacity for the coming season, and the conservation concerns about Kvichak have meant that the preseason forecast has special importance with regard to whether the fisheries in Naknek and Egegik operate in restricted boundaries at the beginning of the season. We have a number of projects associated with escapement goals, run reconstruction, and we are working closely with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADFG) on methods for evaluating alternative harvest strategies and increasing the effectiveness of inseason run forecasting. While the traditional analysis of escapement goals has been concerned only with maximum harvest, the need to increase profitability in the processing and harvesting industries has caused us to explore the economic implications as well as the biological implications of harvest strategies.