Summary of Pacific salmon stock management units
The 2023 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 In addition, individual outlooks may be superseded with formal statistical forecasts and assessments, as they are completed and reviewed.
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 69 Stock Management Units of Pacific salmon. In 2023, 11 SMUs units did not have enough information to provide an assessment. 55 units were an assigned Outlook category or forecast.
Overall, expectations for salmon returns are generally low and similar to 2022.
There are some exceptions:
- Nass coho and sockeye, Skeena sockeye, Fraser Chinook Summer 41s and some Georgia Strait Chinook stocks are expected to be abundant
- Average to near average returns expected for Taku stocks, Stikine and Alsek sockeye, Skeena coho, Central Coast chum and coho, Barkley sockeye, and WCVI coho and Fraser Summer Run 52 chinook
Concerns identified for Interior Fraser conservation units (all relevant species) that are negatively impacted by the Big Bar landslide
Sockeye 2023 outlook
- 16 Stock Management Units
- 216 CUs
- Fraser: generally below average returns, near average for a few CUs
- Somass: below average to average returns
- Skeena: average to above average returns expected
- Nass: average to above average returns expected
Chinook 2023 outlook
- 20 Stock Management Units
- 80 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 2023 outlook
- 13 Stock Management Units
- 43 CUs
- Northern BC: below average returns expected, except for Nass coho
- Southern BC: Interior Fraser Coho remains low; mixed or low for the rest of southern inside, near average for WCVI
Chum 2023 outlook
- 11 Stock Management Units
- 40 CUs
- Northern BC: below average to average returns expected
- Southern BC: minimal Fraser return expected, others below average
Pink 2023 outlook
- 9 Stock Management Units
- 31 CUs
- Northern BC: uncertainty and continued poor returns expected
- Southern BC: variable; below to average returns
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