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Alaska's participation in the Pacific Salmon Treaty process has been guided by the fundamental 

 principles of conservation and wise resource management. These principles are common to both the 

 treaty and Alaska's own salmon management programs. 



STATUS OF SALMON STOCKS 



At this time I would like to provide some general background information on the status of salmon 

 stocks emphasizing the northern Ueaty area (Fig. 1). 



General Northern Treaty Area Salmon Stock Status 



The northern treaty area includes Southeast Alaska and northern British Columbia. In Southeast 

 Alaska alone there are 5,370 identified streams and lakes producing anadromous salmonids. For the 

 most part, salmon stocks originating in northern treaty areas do not intermingle with stocks from 

 southern treaty areas (Vancouver Island and south), and fisheries in the two areas operate 

 independently. An exception is chinook salmon which migrate and intermingle extensively between 

 the southern and northern areas. 



The status of Southeast Alaska salmon stocks generally parallels that of Alaska's statewide salmon 

 stocks (Fig. 2). For two decades prior to statehood, stocks had been declining precipitously due to 

 federal mismanagement and overfishing. This trend was reversed in 1959 when the state assumed 

 management of its fisheries. Except for a brief period during the late 1960s and early 1970s when 

 harsh winters reduced salmon survival and production, salmon runs have increased and now stand at 

 record high levels. 



Few conservation problems exist in northern treaty areas. When conservation problems do develop, 

 immediate conservation closures are routinely implemented in-season. This strategy generally limits 

 conservation hardships to a single year event rather than into a death spiral associated with multiple 

 year over-fishing and back-to-back failures to achieve spawning escapement objectives. 



Transboundary River Salmon Stock Status 



Salmon stocks originating in the transboundary rivers are generally healthy. Cooperative 

 management by Alaskan and Canadian fishery managers has improved under the treaty. 



Chinook runs to the Taku and Stikine Rivers have reached escapement goals as a result of a 

 cooperative rebuilding program actually begun in 1981. four years prior to signing of the treaty. 



Sockcye salmon stocks are healthy, providing good spawning escapements and a harvestable surplus 

 to both Alaskan and Canadian fishermen. Additionally, significant returns of enhanced sockeye 

 salmon are beginning to occur from a joint enhancement programs. 



Alaska/Canada Boundary Area Salmon Stock Status 



Although the majority of salmon harvested in Southeast Alaska fisheries originate in Alaska, 

 substantial intermingling of U.S. and Canadian origin salmon occurs in northern boundary areas 

 adjacent to the Alaskan-Canadian border. Salmon stocks in this area are also generally healthy. 

 Catches of many stocks are at or near all-time highs. 



Cooperative efforts by Alaska and Canada to rebuild depressed Portland Canal chum salmon, begun 

 under the Treaty in 1985, are proving successful. Bilateral arrangements were made in-season in 

 1994 to open areas of Portland Canal that had previously been closed to fishing. 



Cooperation between Alaskan and Canadian fishery managers to respond in-season to conservation 

 problems as they arise has been significantly improved by the treaty and this has benefitted boundary 

 area salmon stocks and fishermen. 



Chinook Salmon Stoc ks Status 



The status of chinook stocks contributing to recreafional and commercial troll fisheries in Southeast 



