Afognak Lake sockeye salmon stock monitoring project (2017–2019)

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 refine the escapement goals and improve 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（利特尼克河，Afognak River (Litnik)）历史上是科迪亚克群岛（Kodiak Archipelago）居民开展红大麻哈鱼（sockeye salmon）生计渔业的核心水域之一。21世纪初，洄游至该河的红大麻哈鱼种群数量大幅下降，致使阿福格纳克湾（Afognak Bay）内的商业、休闲及生计捕捞活动全部关停。由科迪亚克-阿留申地区咨询委员会（Kodiak-Aleutians Regional Advisory Council）、科迪亚克渔业与狩猎咨询委员会（Kodiak Fish and Game Advisory Committee）及科迪亚克部落委员会（Kodiak Tribal Council）代表的当地生计捕捞群体，强调了阿福格纳克河水域系统对本地生计从业者的重要意义，并指出：持续的捕捞禁令将使当地居民更难满足自身的红大麻哈鱼需求，还会迫使捕捞活动转向周边小型红大麻哈鱼洄游种群。阿福格纳克湖红大麻哈鱼种群监测项目（Afognak Lake Sockeye Salmon Stock Monitoring Project）通过设于阿福格纳克河上的鱼道堰（weir），统计洄游至阿福格纳克湖的成年红大麻哈鱼数量，记录红大麻哈鱼通过该堰的洄游时序及每日过堰占比，估算成年红大麻哈鱼洄游种群的年龄与性别结构，并统计通过该堰的红大麻哈鱼按年龄与性别划分的平均体长（毫米）。该项目采集的数据可为红大麻哈鱼管理生物学家提供赛季内决策依据，以合理开展商业与休闲捕捞活动。此外，从这些项目中采集的信息可优化洄游亲体保有目标（escapement goals），完善季前洄游种群预报，从而实现最大可持续产量（maximum sustainable yield），并避免对联邦及州级生计渔业实施不必要的限制。