1. Status of Steelhead in Alaska Brian Marston Area Fisheries Biologist Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Sport Fisheries, Yakutat, Alaska

2. Presentation Topics Distribution Fisheries Stock Status Concerns

4. Juneau

5. Anchorage

6. Types of fishery harvest Sport Fish Sport Fish Subsistence Subsistence Commercial – non sale Commercial – non sale

7. Sport Fishery Regulations Southeast Alaska Southeast Alaska Harvest Limit: 1 per day, 2 Annually (> 36 in.) Catch and release Spawning area closures Southcentral Alaska Southcentral Alaska Harvest Limit: 2 per day ( 1 fish > 20 in.) 2 Annually over 20 in. Spawning area closures Kodiak Road Zone: C&R Upper Copper River Upper Copper River Catch and release Spawning closures

8. Statewide Harvest Survey; Angling Harvest

9. Statewide Catch Survey; Angling Catch

10. Subsistence Harvest ADF&G (1997) Harvest Estimates for Craig, Hydaburg, and Klawock

11. Commercial Steelhead Harvest in Southeast Alaska Sale Prohibited

12. Stock Status Assessment Snorkel Surveys Snorkel Surveys Weir counts Kelts and or adults upstream Weir counts Kelts and or adults upstream –Scale pattern ageing; PIT tags –Length sampling –DIDSON Sonar applications

15. Southeast Alaska Steelhead Index Streams

16. Sitkoh Creek Weir Counts – Southeast Alaska 296 354 169

17. Sashin Creek Weir Counts, Southeast Alaska

18. Situk River Weir Counts – Southeast Alaska

19. Litnik Weir Counts – Kodiak Area

20. Karluk Weir Counts – Kodiak Area

21. Ayakulik Weir Counts – Kodiak Area

22. Lengthattributesampling Length attribute sampling

23. ScalePatternAnalysis Scale Pattern Analysis

24. DIDSON sonar Pros – –No weir across river to impact fishery – –Recordable data countable by computer – –Less technicians in field – –Observable images of data for public Cons –Expense –Expertise –No species recognition –Requires power Total data loss if failure

25. Management Concerns: Habitat Degradation Roads Hydroelectric Projects Timber Harvest Management Mining Projects Undocumented harvest in commercial and subsistence fisheries.

26. Future management directions More stock status data needed More stock status data needed Continue long term datasets Continue long term datasets Creating habitat suitability models for SE streams Creating habitat suitability models for SE streams Preemptive Management Preemptive Management Trout management plan Trout management plan Protection of habitat Protection of habitat Maintain size and age attributes Maintain size and age attributes Emphasize importance of fishery Emphasize importance of fishery

27. Current conservative regulations provide for sustainability of steelhead stocks while allowing for a limited sport fishery. Sport fishery catch rates remain high and all harvests low Current abundances of steelhead in the assessed streams of Alaska appear to be within normal variation Some SE streams have declined from recent high abundance, while SC streams are at average or peak abundance after recent low counts. Sustainable fisheries, habitat conservation and maintenance of current stock attributes remains the primary focus.Conclusion:Questions?