Our Li\'iiig Resources — Alaska 



J45 



Pink salmon management in Prince William 

 SoLMid is extremely complex. Record harvests 

 of pink salmon (30-30 million fish) in Prince 

 William Sound during 1990 and 1991 declined 

 to 9 million in 1992. The decline in catch and 

 recent declines in escapement (Fig. 3a) may be 

 a result of density-dependent mortality from 

 increased hatchery releases, environmental 

 alterations, or changing oceanic cuiTents. It 

 should be noted, however, that the pink salmon 

 escapements in Prince William Sound. Cook 

 Inlet, and Kodiak increased in 1993 (Fig. 3a). 

 The 1 989 peak in the combined escapements for 

 pink salmon in Cook Inlet and Kodiak retlects 



fishery closures related to the Exxon Valdcz oil 

 spill. 



Chum Salmon 



The trend summary for chum salmon was 

 available for all regions of Alaska. Decreasing 

 trends were more common than increases 

 (Table). The statewide harvest of chum salmon 

 attained record levels through the mid-1980's 

 (Fig. 2b) and has generally increased in all areas 

 of Alaska since the mid-1970's. Although the 

 catch in western Alaska is almost all from wild 

 populations, hatchery contributions are now 



120 

 100 



80 



60^ 



40 



20- 



Pink salmon 



rnlmj 



111 



IHi' 



It 



l|lllllilinlllll.lll|l..ill 



1891 1901 11 21 31 41 51 61 71 81 91 



20 



10- 

 5 



Chum salmon 



1891 1901 



21 31 41 51 61 71 81 91 



60- 

 50 



1, ''° 



I 30- 



"re 



:^ 20 



o 



i 10 



Sockeye salmon 



innn I iL 1 1 .ii I L ■ i 



nfi] n nnii limn 



iiiiiii 



1891 1901 11 21 31 41 51 61 71 81 91 



0.8- 

 0.6 - 

 0.4- 

 0,2 



Chinook salmon 



O^-lUlllJ 



1891 1901 11 



1 TT \ 



Hillli 



I.I. I. 



II fimfflPm m. 



e. 



Coho salmon 



Ot 



1891 



l,ll,„.jlilllili|ll 



1901 



iiiiiii 



Fig. 2 a-e. Statewide commercial 

 harvest of Alaskan salmon by 

 91 .species, 1891-1991 (Rigby et al. 

 1991). 



