The numbers are in for the returns of the chinook stocks that we fish for the most. The counts are terrific. We remember the super fishing all year. The number of chinooks that returned to their rivers exceeded expectations and often by huge margins .
Here are some numbers .
The Thomson/Shuswap (called 4.1s) , in contrast to returns in recent decades of 75,000 to 100,000, in 2023 the estimated return was 627,000 !!! Those are the short-nosed bullets that some people mistakenly call Columbias . They are far north migrating and we generally fish for them in the narrow channel migration corridors in the north part of our fishing area.
The Harrison River stock came back at 150,000 , which is twice the escapement goal. Those Lower Fraser stocks make up most of the white-fleshed chinooks we catch in our area. These chinooks tend to stick around in Georgia Strait, anchored by the abundant herring.
Cowichan Chinook came back at 21,000 , with an escapement goal of 6,500. These fish are very important in the Georgia Strait fishery, and they have grown back from low numbers years ago.
We have fishing restrictions with ample margins of precaution to protect weak stocks. The strong returns are the main stocks we historically fish for. It is such good news .
Even more good news is that indicators for the 2024 season continue to be very good. Locally, the winter fishing for the growing immature chinooks has been extraordinary, for both number and size.
What could be better ? Add cohos . Even more good news is that significant numbers of cohos are showing up inside Georgia Strait to indicate that a large portion of them are choosing to stick around rather than going out to sea. We had wonderful coho fishing last year from cohos that stayed inside and it looks like things could be shaping up for that situation again !
For more detail , here is a cut and paste piece from the Sport Fishing Institute of British Columbia.
. Information recently reported by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) offers
excellent news regarding Chinook recovery and productivity. After several
cycles of below average returns, some key stocks have rebounded leading to an
abundance of Chinook in BC south coast waters that has not been seen in
decades, or maybe ever. This surge and rebound is creating consistent angling
success for all sectors and even greater availability of Chinook in BC waters
for our iconic SRKW.
There are two life histories of Chinook salmon based on the length of time they spend in fresh water before entering the ocean. . Ocean type Chinook spend only a few months or less in the river, quickly moving into tidal waters. Stream type Chinook spend at least a full year and up to two years in river before heading out to the ocean. It appears that 4-year ocean type chinook, known as 4.1s, are benefitting from current ocean conditions and other as-yet-undetermined factors that are influencing their survival and productivity.
2023 returns of Summer 4.1 Chinook, which enter the Fraser July to September and spawn in the Thompson\Shuswap area, are currently estimated by DFO to be an unprecedented 627,000 fish! To provide perspective of how impressive that number is, average returns for the past decade have been in the 75,000 to 100,000 range. This Summer 4.1 stock is known to be far north migrating and therefore contributes to fisheries throughout the BC coast. Lower Fraser Fall 4.1 Chinook, which enter the Fraser River in August to October and spawn in tributaries below Hope, are seeing similar recovery as evidenced by the return of the Harrison River indicator stock. The Harrison River stock, closely monitored to provide a proxy for all the other rivers that make up the larger Fall 4.1 stock group, returned at 150,000, over double the science-based escapement goal. Cowichan Chinook, another carefully monitored indicator stock, is estimated at 21,000 and has been well over its science-based escapement goal of 6500 for over 7 years now. Enhanced Chinook returns to Barkley Sound are estimated at 200,000, and all West and East Coast Vancouver Island enhanced runs returns are at high levels of abundance in 2023.
What’s even better news is the salmon outlook for 2024 indicates we can expect similar levels of abundance for these key stocks for the upcoming season. This is great news for , all fishing sectors, coastal and riverside communities, and should provide historic levels of prey for SRKW as they frequent the migration routes of these highly abundant stocks during the time, they are present in their greatest numbers, and at their largest sizes.
So, while there are still salmon stocks along our coast that require attention, monitoring, enhancement, and support to aid in their recovery, the Chinook stocks detailed above are important indicators, well worth highlighting, and bona fide good news for Chinook, SRKW, and angling in BC for 2024 and beyond!
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