Project Grant F23AP01232

THE MOUNTAIN VILLAGE DRIFT GILLNET SALMON TEST FISHERY (MVTF) HAS OPERATED DURING THE PERIOD 1995 THROUGH 2012 AND FROM 2014-2022. THE U.S. CANADA RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT (R E) FUND FUNDED THIS PROJECT IN THE EARLY 2000S. HOWEVER, MORE RECENT YEARS FUNDING HAS BEEN PRIMARILY PROVIDED BY THE U.S. RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT (R M) FUND, ALONG WITH PARTIAL FUNDING BY THE ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME (ADF G) AND YUKON DELTA FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (YDFDA). THIS PROJECT DID NOT OPERATE IN 2013. THIS PROJECT PROVIDES THE FIRST INFORMATION ON THE RELATIVE SALMON RUN SIZE AND TIMING OF FALL CHUM AND COHO SALMON RUNS IN ONE MAINSTEM CHANNEL OF THE YUKON RIVER. ASSESSMENT OF THE FALL CHUM AND COHO SALMON RUN STRENGTH AND TIMING DATA FROM THIS PROJECT, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE LOWER YUKON TEST FISHERY (LYTF) CATCH PER UNIT EFFORT (CPUE) INFORMATION AND THE MAINSTEM YUKON RIVER SONAR COUNTS COLLECTED NEAR PILOT STATION, WILL ALLOW A COMPARATIVE AND A MORE ACCURATE AND TIMELY ASSESSMENT OF THE INSEASON FALL CHUM AND COHO SALMON RUN STRENGTHS AND RUN TIMINGS THROUGH THE LOWER YUKON RIVER. YUKON RIVER MANAGEMENT AGENCIES, ADF G AND UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (USFWS), CONSIDER THE LYTF, FALL SEASON MVTF AND THE MAINSTEM YUKON RIVER SONAR PROJECT ALL CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT OF YUKON RIVER FALL CHUM AND COHO SALMON STOCKS. ALTHOUGH THE PRIMARY TOOL FOR MANAGEMENT IS THE MAINSTEM SONAR PROJECT, RELATIVE RUN STRENGTH AND COMPOSITION INFORMATION FROM THE FALL SEASON MVTF PROJECT IS USED TO FINE TUNE THE MANAGEMENT OF THE FALL SEASON FISHERIES, ESPECIALLY IN LOW ABUNDANCE YEARS AND AFTER THE MAINSTEM SONAR PROJECT TERMINATES FOR THE SEASON. THE FALL SEASON MVTF PROVIDES THE ONLY RELIABLE ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR BOTH FALL CHUM AND COHO SALMON AFTER THE MAINSTEM SONAR TERMINATES FOR THE SEASON. IN SOME YEARS, THERE ARE SUBSTANTIAL PULSES OF FALL CHUM AND COHO SALMON ENTERING THE RIVER AFTER TERMINATION OF THE SONAR PROJECT. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THESE ASSESSMENT PROJECTS IS USED TO ESTIMATE THE NUMBER OF FALL CHUM AND COHO SALMON THAT ENTER THE RIVER AFTER THE SONAR PROJECT TERMINATES. DURING THIS TIME, MANAGEMENT DECISIONS REGARDING THE YUKON RIVER FALL SEASON FISHERIES MAY BE DEPENDENT ON INFORMATION FROM THIS PROJECT. THEREFORE, THE FALL SEASON MVTF IS A HIGH PRIORITY PROJECT. THE LONG-TERM PROJECT GOAL IS TO DEVELOP A CATCH PER UNIT EFFORT (CPUE) AND AGE, SEX, AND LENGTH (ASL) DATABASE THAT CAN BE USED, PRIMARILY AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MAINSTEM SONAR ABUNDANCE DATABASE TO MANAGE THE FALL SEASON FISHERIES MORE EFFICIENTLY. ADDITIONALLY, THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO BUILD LOCAL CAPACITY THROUGH PARTICIPATION OF THE TRIBAL GOVERNMENT AND EXPERT FISHERS, FOSTER UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE BY THE PROJECT PARTNERS OF THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SALMON RESOURCES, ENCOURAGE LOCAL STEWARDSHIP, AND PROMOTE THE VALUE OF THE SALMON RESOURCE THROUGHOUT THE DRAINAGE.THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO 1. ESTIMATE THE RELATIVE ABUNDANCE (TEST FISH CPUE) AND RUN TIMING OF THE YUKON RIVER FALL CHUM AND COHO SALMON RUN NEAR THE COMMUNITY OF MOUNTAIN VILLAGE 2. DESCRIBE THE ASL COMPOSITION OF THE FALL CHUM AND COHO SALMON CAUGHT IN TEST DRIFT NETS AND 3. PROVIDE A CONSERVATION AND STEWARDSHIP EXPERIENCE FOR RURAL RESIDENTS.