Project Grant F24AP01889

THE MOUNTAIN VILLAGE COOPERATIVE FALL SEASON DRIFT GILLNET SALMON TEST FISHERY (MVTF) HASOPERATED DURING THE YEARS 1995-2012 AND 2014-2023. IN RECENT YEARS FUNDING HAS BEEN PRIMARILYPROVIDED BY THE U.S. RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT FUND, ALONG WITH PARTIAL FUNDING BY THE ALASKADEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME ADF G AND YUKON DELTA FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION.THIS PROJECT DID NOT OPERATE IN 2013.THE CURRENT MVTF ASSESSMENT PROJECT IS LED BY G.SANDONE CONSULTING, LLC, IN PARTNERSHIP WITHASACARSARMIUT TRIBAL COUNCIL, ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME AND YUKON DELTA FISHERIESDEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION.DURING THE ANNUAL PERIOD JULY 18 SEPTEMBER 12, LOCAL EXPERT FISHERMEN USE DRIFT GILLNETS TOTARGET FALL CHUM AND COHO SALMON THAT MIGRATE UP THE YUKON RIVER. TEST FISHING IS CONDUCTED ATTWO SITES NEAR THE COMMUNITY OF MOUNTAIN VILLAGE, ALASKA, TWICE DAILY. THE CAPTURED SALMON AREENUMERATED, SAMPLED FOR AGE, SEX, AND LENGTH, AND THEN DISTRIBUTED TO RESIDENTS FOR SUBSISTENCEPURPOSES. INCIDENTAL CATCHES OF OTHER SALMON AND RESIDENT FISH SPECIES ARE EITHER RELEASED ALIVE ORPROVIDED TO THE COMMUNITY FOR SUBSISTENCE PURPOSES. ALL DATA ARE TRANSFERRED DAILY TO THEPRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR AND ADF G. DATA FROM THIS PROJECT AND FROM OTHER YUKON RIVER PROJECTSARE USED BY ADF G AND THE U. S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE FOR INSEASON MANAGEMENT OF THE FALLSEASON SALMON RESOURCE.THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO:1. ESTIMATE THE RELATIVE ABUNDANCE AND RUN TIMING OF THE YUKON RIVER FALL CHUM ANDCOHO SALMON NEAR THE COMMUNITY OF MOUNTAIN VILLAGE 2. DESCRIBE THE AGE, SEX, AND LENGTH COMPOSITION OF THE FALL CHUM AND COHO SALMONCAUGHT IN TEST DRIFT NETS AND3. PROVIDE CONSERVATION AND STEWARDSHIP EXPERIENCE FOR RURAL RESIDENTS.DOWNSTREAM OF THE COMMUNITY OF MOUNTAIN VILLAGE, THE YUKON RIVER SPLITS INTO NUMEROUSDISTRIBUTARIES. SALMON TEST FISHERIES ARE SITUATED ON THREE MAIN DISTRIBUTARIES. COLLECTIVELY, THESETHREE TEST FISH PROJECTS ARE REFERRED TO AS THE LOWER YUKON TEST FISHERY (LYTF). THESE LYTFPROVIDE AN INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT OF THE SALMON RUNS IN THAT DISTRIBUTARY. HOWEVER, THE MVTFPROVIDES THE FIRST INFORMATION ON THE FALL SEASON SALMON RUNS IN ONE CHANNEL IN THE MAINSTEMYUKON RIVER. ASSESSMENT OF THE FALL CHUM AND COHO SALMON RUN STRENGTH AND TIMING DATA FROMTHE MVTF, IN CONJUNCTION WITH DATA FROM THE LYTF AND THE MAINSTEM SONAR NEAR PILOT STATION,ALLOW ACCURATE AND TIMELY ASSESSMENTS OF THE INSEASON FALL CHUM AND COHO SALMON RUN STRENGTHSAND RUN TIMINGS THROUGH THE LOWER YUKON RIVER.YUKON RIVER MANAGEMENT AGENCIES, ADF G AND USFWS, CONSIDER THE LYTF, MVTF, AND THEMAINSTEM SONAR PROJECT CRITICAL COMPONENTS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT OFYUKON RIVER FALL CHUM AND COHO SALMON STOCKS. ALTHOUGH THE PRIMARY TOOL FOR MANAGEMENT ISTHE MAINSTEM SONAR PROJECT, DATA FROM THE MVTF IS USED TO FINE-TUNE THE MANAGEMENT OF THE FALLSEASON FISHERIES, ESPECIALLY IN LOW ABUNDANCE YEARS AND AFTER THE MAINSTEM SONAR PROJECTTERMINATES FOR THE SEASON IN LATE AUGUST. THE MVTF PROVIDES THE ONLY RELIABLE ASSESSMENT TOOLFOR BOTH FALL CHUM AND COHO SALMON AFTER THE TERMINATION OF THE SONAR PROJECT. DURING THIS TIME,MANAGEMENT DECISIONS REGARDING THE YUKON RIVER FALL SEASON FISHERIES MAY BE DEPENDENT ONINFORMATION FROM THIS PROJECT. THEREFORE, THE MVTF IS A HIGH-PRIORITY PROJECT.THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP DATABASES THAT CAN BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITHTHE MAINSTEM SONAR ABUNDANCE DATABASE TO MANAGE THE FALL SEASON SALMON FISHERIES MOREEFFICIENTLY. ADDITIONALLY, THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO BUILD LOCAL CAPACITY THROUGH THE PARTICIPATION OF THETRIBAL GOVERNMENT, EXPERT FISHERMEN, AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. THESE PARTNERSHIPS FOSTER ANUNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SALMON RESOURCES, ENCOURAGE LOCALSTEWARDSHIP, AND PROMOTE THE VALUE OF THE SALMON RESOURCE THROUGHOUT THE DRAINAGE.