Summary of Pacific salmon stock management units
This preliminary version of the 2021 outlook should be regarded as an early scan of salmon production, and is subject to change as more information becomes available. In addition, individual outlooks may be superseded with formal statistical forecasts and assessments, as they are completed and reviewed.
The complete version of the Preliminary 2021 Salmon Outlook is available upon request. Please contact Dawn Lewis to receive a copy.
A ‘stock management unit’ (SMU) is a ‘group of one or more conservation units (CU) that are managed together with the objective of achieving a joint status’. Region-wide, there are 409 CUs that make up 67 Stock Management Units of Pacific salmon. In 2021, twelve SMUs units did not have enough information to provide an assessment. Fifty-five units were an assigned Outlook category or forecast.
- Overall, expectations for salmon returns are generally low and similar to 2020
- There are some exceptions:
- Fraser Chinook Summer 41s are expected to be abundant
- average to near average returns expected for a few Fraser sockeye stocks, the Somass sockeye system (Barkley), Taku sockeye, enhanced WCVI Chinook, and some other chum and other Chinook systems
- Concerns identified for Interior Fraser conservation units (all relevant species) that are negatively impacted by the Big Bar landslide
Sockeye 2021 outlook
- 16 Stock Management Units
- 215 CUs
- Fraser: generally below average returns, near average for a few CUs
- Somass: below average to average returns
- Skeena: below average returns expected
- Nass: below average returns expected
Chinook 2021 outlook
- 19 Stock Management Units
- 74 CUs
- Northern BC: below average to average returns expected
- Southern BC: returns expected to remain low in the Fraser with the exception of a few CUs; mixed elsewhere.
Coho 2021 outlook
- 13 Stock Management Units
- 43 CUs
- Northern BC: below average returns expected
- Southern BC: Interior Fraser Coho remains low; mixed or low for the rest of southern inside, near average for WCVI.
Chum 2021 outlook
- 10 Stock Management Units
- 31 CUs
- Northern BC: below average to average returns expected
- Southern BC: minimal Fraser return expected, others below average
Pink 2021 outlook
- 9 Stock Management Units
- 37 CUs
- Northern BC: uncertainty and continued poor returns expected
- Southern BC: variable; below to average returns
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