Convention Hears Area Director
Hourston Reviews 1968 Fishery
• JHgMigfcfi of the 1968 fishing season, foremost among them what he described as the "rather phenomenal achierement" of the Rivers Inlet sockeye run, \r ere reviewed by Pacific regional fisheries director W. R'Hourston at the UFAWV convention on February 5. Slightly abridged text of his address, the seventh he has made to delegates is giren here. Text of questions directed to Hourston by delegates and his answers to tAem will be carried in our next issue.
•
FINAL figures of fish landings in 1968 show that returns to fishermen were $57 5 million or $85 million higher than in 1967 and second only to 1966 as the highest on record
Salmon fishermen en)oyed a particularly good year, landing a total of 353 million salmon of all species If pink salmon had been average in size, there would have been an all time record catch on a poundage basis The landed value amounted to $46 million or 16 percent higher than any previous year-Touching on some of the highlights of the 1968 salmon season, the first that comes to my mind, and I'm sure to yours as well, is the unprecedented catch of sockeye salmon at Rivers Inlet The previous catch record of 1J million sockeye was set in 1IIS The 1968 catch of 2 7 mil lion sockeye exceeded the old record by 45 percent, a rather phenomenal achievement The large size of the Ash — 7 1 pounds, as compared to an historic average weight of 58 pounds — was an added bonus i that I'm sure fishermen appreciated
For the first time in history', purse seines were permitted in the area while the sockeye season was on. Ashing being limited to a small portion of Fiti-hugh Sound.
The pink salmon catch of over 14 million pieces was well above average Unfortunately, the average size of the pinks was less than three pounds The Bella Coola area was again the high producer with a catch of approximately Ave million pinks
• Pacific regional fisheries director W. R. with delegates at the UFAWU convention.
Hourston is pictured here during a good humored exchange
—George LegebokofT photo
There was marked improvement in the productivity of southern chum salmon runs in 1968 In the Johnstone Strait and Fraser study area the total stock exceeded t w o million chums, with approximately 800.-000 taken by the commercial fishery Encouraging signs of improved survival rates were general to the entire coast — the total catch of 31 million chum salmon was the largest since 1958
average
While adequate escapements of
Couver ded in
There was no commercial herring fishery for reduction purposes as stocks were only adequate to meet spawning require-
ments The spawn deposition was improved over that recorded in 1967. particularly in the lower east coast area
Halibut landings at BC and US ports totalled 294 million pounds but unit prices continued at around the same level as 1967 so that returns to fisherman totalled ST 4 million, which was sharply lower than 1965 and 1966
Another feature of the 1968 season was the record tuna landings reported by seiners and trailers Landings totalled 2 6 million   pounds   worth nearly
cs. whili- not ear of 1966. irage with a pounds val-
cod at 61 the highest system was
total ued a Lan
• C1<ff G<iiing of Victoria was one of several troller delegates who (iwtit.vito Houston on the west coast "shaker" problem.
Sole landings at 10 million pounds were 10 percent higher than in 1967 and grey cod landings of 11 3 million pounds were up two million pounds from 1967 but well below the high levels that were achieved in 1965 and 1966
Production of all species of shellAsh declined, w ith crab landings down about 20 percent, oyster shuckings off by 24 percent, clam production down nearly 80 percent <the lowest level since 1951'. while shrimp production was down by eight percent.
DEVELOPMENT WORK
DIXON ENTRANCE: For the third year, a tagging program was carried out in 1968 in the general area of Dixon Entrance to determine stock composition and migration routes and effectiveness of a fishery In specific areas
A total of 28.000 salmon, mostly pinks, were tagged in Dixon Entrance and Hecate Strait and In the Browning Entrance and Zayas Island fishing areas To date 7.000 tagged salmon have been reported
Regarding the special Browning Entrance and Zayas Island fisheries In 1968. since the combined catch did not exceed 150.-000 pink salmon, these fisheries were relatively unsuccessful. The reasons for this are not clear at present; however, the small size of pink salmon was a contributing factor. At present the data are being analyzed in order to fully assess the results and to inuke recommendations for future action.
BABINE LAKE: Progress of the Rahine Lake sockeye development program was excellent during 1968 During this year, the department completed contracts totalling S2.300.000 In the fourth year of the six year construction program.
The construction work encompassed dealing of 1,800 acres of the reservoir area around  Kullon Luke; construc-
tion of a 35 foot high concrete gravity dam at the outlet of Fulton Lake: the first stage of construction for spawning channel No 2 in Fulton River which will accommodate 135.000 adult sockeye when complete; and completion of a spawning channel at Pinkut Creek which has a capacity of 70.000 sockeye
Preliminary results of the biological assessment program, conducted jointly by Fisheries Research Board and department personnel, provided encouraging results during 1968
Although fry quality tests indicated that some differences do ixisl between channel produced and ii.itiir.il stream produced sockeye fry, the results of marking programs indicated that fry produced from channels have survived to the smolt stage at the same rate as those produced from the river
In 1968 survival of juvenile sockeye to the fry stage totalled 49 percent in Fulton River channel No. 1, compared with 16 percent in the Fulton River and six percent in Pinkut Creek.
The adult return to Fulton River in the fall of 1968 totalled 130.000. of which 27.000 spawned In channel No. 1. At Pinkut Creek the escapement totalled 24.000. of which approximately 15.000 spawned in the newly completed channel.
As a further optimistic note, studies conducted during the late fall suggest that survivals in both channels and in the Fulton River, which is now under partial flow control, are the highest recorded during comparable periods in all past years.
RIVERS INLET: A program designed to monitor the sockeye escapement at the head of the inlet was continued in 1968 It was found that individual fish could be detected and recorded by echo sounders operated on a fixed grid pattern and an attempt was made to use this information as a preliminary index of sockeye escapement.
Field analysis of data obtained by this technique indicated that the escapement comprised 1.2 to 1.5 million sockeye Enumeration of sockeye on spawning areas indicated an overall escapement of greater than 1,000,-000 fish.
These results suggest very strongly that the echo sounding program conducted at the head of Rivers Inlet will provide a valuable tool for indexing the
sockeye es< apemeilt a! this point
and thus provide n basis for more effective regulations of the Area 9 fishery.
In regard to maintenance of spawning grounds, the major portion of the discharge of (he VV auk wash River was directed back Into its former channel to enhance the survival of a slg
nificant number of spawners which had previously spawned in several of the flood channels.
JOHNSTONE   STRAIT: The
1968 pink salmon catch in the Johnstone Strait area totalled 3.6 million. This represents the largest catch recorded in this area since 1951 when the present statistical area records were instituted. Excellent escapements also were reported in nearly all Johnstone Strait area streams.
A purse seine tagging study was carried out in the Thompson-Bond region of Area 12 during the period of pink salmon migration in 1968. Timing of pink salmon stocks destined for the Ahnuhati River, Glendale River and Kakweiken River was measured and valuable information necessary to management of those stocks was obtained.
The 1968 return of 75,000 pinks to the Kakweiken River represents a major increase over the escapements of 3.500 in 1964 and 7.500 in 1966. This rehabilitation has been achieved largely as a result of special closures imposed in both 1966 and 1968.
Special emphasis was placed on a study of the Kakweiken River. A temporary steep pass fish way installed at a falls on the river in 1964 has resulted in improved access to a spawning area with a capacity in excess of 300.000 pink salmon. In order to ensure access to the upper river at all water levels, however, a permanent vertical baffle fish way is being considered for installation in 1970.
JOHNSTONE STRAIT -FRASER RIVER: The 1968 chum salmon return to the Johnstone Strait-Fraser River area has been the best recorded since 1959
A purse seine vessel was operated in Johnstone Strait this year. The study included test fishing to obtain an approximate measure of abundance, scale sampling for age determination and tagging to add to our knowledge of timing.
An assessment of the chum salmon streams of the Fraser River watershed is currently under way and a proposal to rehabilitate an area of the Ved-der River which has been affected by erosion and dyking is now under review.
BIG QUALICUM: The sixth year of operation of the Big Qualicum River development project continued to provide encouraging results. Water flow control and streambed improvement provided the best possible environmental conditions for salmon spawning, incubation and rearing. The 38 million chum fry which emigrated in 1968 represent almost twice the number of the previous best year.
The new artificial spawning channel for chum salmon produced about 12 million fry last spring. This amounted to about one third of the total chum fry-production at the Qualicum project.
The largest number of chum salmon in over 10 years returned to the Big Qualicum last fall. The escapement exceeded 140,-000 adults. On the basis of catch sampling and recovery of marked fish, our preliminary estimate is that 49.000 Big Qualicum chums were taken by the commercial fishery. It is anticipated that a record breaking 75 million fry will emigrate to the ocean this spring.
ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION: The increasing incidence of hatchery reared spring and coho salmon in commercial and sport fisheries, along with the increasing return to hatchery racks, suggest the U.S. hatchery system is becoming more efficient.
As a result, the department has a number of studies under way.
First, we are maintaining liaison with U.S. hatchery biologists in order to keep up to date on the results of extensive halt-liny
Continued on Page 8
THE FISHERMAN       FEBRUARY 14, 1969