Shrnutí

Popis

A genetic analysis of samples from the chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) bycatch from the 2011 Bering Sea walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) trawl fishery was undertaken to determine the overall stock composition of the sample set. Samples were genotyped for 11 microsatellite markers and results were estimated using the current chum salmon microsatellite baseline. In 2011, genetic samples were collected systematically as part of a special project to reduce sample biases that exist in collections from previous years that have the potential to affect stock composition analysis results. One genetic sample was collected for every 31.1 chum salmon caught in 97% of the midwater trawl fishery that was sampled. Evaluation of sampling based on time, location, and vessel indicated that the genetic samples were representative of the total bycatch. Based on the analysis of 1,472 chum salmon bycatch samples collected throughout the 2011 Bering Sea trawl fishery, the Eastern Gulf of Alaska (GOA)/Pacific Northwest (PNW) stocks dominated the sample set (38%), with moderate contributions from East Asian (17%), North Asian (18%), and Western Alaska (16%) stocks, and smaller contributions from Upper/Middle Yukon River (9%) stocks. The estimates for the 2011 chum salmon bycatch sample set differed from the 20052010 estimates, indicating a change in the consistency of the regional stock contributions across the previous 6 years, possibly due to the larger proportion of bycatch caught later in the season and in the more southeastern NMFS reporting areas in 2011. There were significant spatial differences in stock distribution, with the Asian stocks dominating the central Bering Sea area and the Eastern GOA/PNW stocks dominating the southeastern Bering Sea. Analysis of temporal groupings revealed changes in stock composition during the course of the season with decreasing contribution of East Asia and Upper/Middle Yukon stocks and increasing contribution of Eastern GOA/PNW stocks over time.