Ethics Vs. Politics: Moving Toward More Selective Harvest in Northern Marine Chinook Salmon Fisheries

Currently, the majority of Chinook salmon harvested in the SE Alaskan mixed-stock troll fishery are caught far from their rivers of origin; it was estimated that roughly 3% originated from Alaskan rivers from 1999-2010 (model-estimates of catch by the Chinook Technical Committee of the Pacific Salmon Commission [PSC]). Most harvested Chinook were Columbia River stocks; large inputs also came from the Washington and Oregon coasts and British Columbia. Many of these stocks are depleted or protected under the ESA. From the newly free-flowing Elwha River, 80% of the Chinook caught in the ocean were harvested during the West Coast  Vancouver Island fishery, where a fishery targeted at more abundant stocks may be possible. Stock location/migration information is increasing annually and much of it is publicly available. To test and confirm PSC harvest model results, we collected samples of Chinook salmon advertised as being from the SE Alaskan troll fishery and analyzed their genetic structure against the West Coast Chinook baseline. We will present these results and propose an open discourse to move toward more informed and ethical stock-based harvest management for Chinook salmon in northern marine fisheries utilizing stock-identification technologies now available.