Afognak Lake Sockeye Salmon Monitoring Project (2020–2022)

The Afognak River (Litnik) has historically supported one of the largest sockeye salmon subsistence fisheries for Kodiak Archipelago residents. In the 2000s, the number of sockeye salmon returning to Afognak River had diminished substantially resulting in closures to commercial, sport, and subsistence fishing in Afognak Bay. Local subsistence users, represented by the Kodiak-Aleutians Regional Advisory Council, Kodiak Fish and Game Advisory Committee, and Kodiak Tribal Council, stressed the importance of the Afognak River system to local subsistence users and contended that continued closures would make it more difficult for local residents to meet their sockeye salmon needs and shift fishing efforts to small nearby sockeye salmon runs. The Afognak Lake Sockeye Salmon Stock Monitoring Project enumerates adult sockeye salmon into Afognak Lake through a weir located on the Afognak River, describes run-timing, or proportional daily passage, of sockeye salmon through the weir, estimates the age and sex composition of adult sockeye salmon returns, and estimates the average length (mm) by age and sex of sockeye salmon passing through the weir. Data collected from this project provide salmon management biologists the ability to make in-season decisions to execute commercial and sport fisheries. In addition, the information that is gathered from these projects refines the escapement goals and improves preseason run forecasts to allow for maximum sustainable yield and prevent unnecessary restrictions of federal and state subsistence fisheries.阿福格纳克河（Litnik）历史上是科迪亚克群岛居民规模最大的红大马哈鱼（sockeye salmon）生计渔业支撑流域之一。2000年代，返回阿福格纳克河的红大马哈鱼种群数量大幅下降，导致阿福格纳克湾的商业、休闲及生计捕捞均被关停。由科迪亚克-阿留申地区咨询委员会、科迪亚克鱼类与狩猎咨询委员会以及科迪亚克部落议会代表的本地生计捕捞群体，强调了阿福格纳克河水系对本地生计捕捞者的重要性，并指出持续关停捕捞将使当地居民更难满足红大马哈鱼需求，进而迫使捕捞活动转向附近小型红大马哈鱼洄游种群。阿福格纳克湖红大马哈鱼种群监测项目（Afognak Lake Sockeye Salmon Stock Monitoring Project）通过设于阿福格纳克河上的测流堰（weir）统计进入阿福格纳克湖的成年红大马哈鱼数量，记录红大马哈鱼通过测流堰的洄游时间分布（即每日洄游占比），估算成年红大马哈鱼洄游种群的年龄与性别组成，并按年龄和性别统计通过测流堰的红大马哈鱼的平均体长（毫米，mm）。本项目采集的数据可为红大马哈鱼管理生物学家提供在捕捞季内制定商业与休闲捕捞实施方案的决策依据。此外，本项目采集的信息可优化亲鱼留存目标（escapement goals），并改进季前洄游种群预报，以实现最大可持续产量，并避免对联邦及州级生计渔业实施不必要的捕捞限制。