261 



DRAFT 



Page 131, Escapement 



The following statements are inaccurate: 



Pape 131 and Table S-1: 



'Overfishing is evident when one compares the survival rates to 

 escapement for coastal coho salmon fiom the OPI ocean fishery from 

 1970 through 1983, which averaged 11 percent, to the 1984 through 

 1989 survival rates, which averaged 39 percent' 



The survival rates to escapement presented for coastal coho salmon here are incorrect. 

 It appears that the authors mistakenly included catch, but not escapement, of Columbia 

 River coho when they calculated these values. Based on the ODFW OCN database, 

 average survival to escapement for 1970-83 was 25%, not 11%, and for 1984-89 was 

 58%, not 39% (text) or 26% (Table S-1?). Marked hatchery groups at Fall Creek 

 Hatchery averaged 20% for the years 1978-83 and 38% for the years 1984-89 whereas 

 marked groups from Salmon River Hatchery averaged 28.5% for the years 1979-83 and 

 48.5% for the years 1984-89. 



Page 132. a nd Fipure S-3: 



'From the 1950s to the present, there is a significant downward trend in 

 spawner escapements of coastal and Columbia River coho stocks ' 



The description of the trend in coho salmon spawners on the Oregon Coast and in the 

 Columbia River is inaccurate. The declines began in the mid to late 1960s not the 

 1950s as claimed (See the ODFW Coho Plan Figures II C-5 & C-6). 



Page 133 and Figures S-4 and .<;-5! 



"...in each year that the escapement goal was not met, catch exceeded 

 the escapemem goal by a factor of 2 to 5. 



In years when escapement goals were not met, catch of OCN coho salmon actually 

 exceeded their escapement goal by factors of 0.54 to 1.37, not 2 to 5 as is stated. See 

 the review of "Section 1.2.4. Spawning Escapement and Return to Rivers". 



It is not clear how Figure S-4 was derived. This figure is not present in PFMC (1991) 

 as stated, and it is not possible that coastal coho were 2.5 million out of a 4 million 

 OPI in 1976. The scale of Figure S-4 is about half what is needed, resulting in the 

 impression that the difference between catch and total production is smaller than it 

 really is. 



A-55 



