Ottawa – The Fraser River Panel met Friday (August 17), to receive an update on the migration of the Fraser Sockeye runs to date and review the status of migration conditions in the Fraser River watershed.  

The entire DFO report can be found here.

Area 20 gill net test fishery catches have been steady in recent days while Purse Seine test fishery catches in both Areas 12 and 20 have been fluctuating in the 3,000 to 8,000 range in recent days.

The Area 20 gill net test fishery terminated last night as per the pre-season schedule. Stock identification samples from both Areas 12 and 20 are now showing equal proportions of Summers and Late Run stocks dominating the stock composition with low levels of Early Summers continuing to show in both approaches.

In the Early Summer Run group the later timed South Thompson stocks are making up the largest component of the aggregate with Nadina still present. The current estimate for the diversion rate through Johnstone Strait has increased to 29% based on the average of the estimates derived from the most recent 5 days of catch in the Areas 20 and 12 gill net and purse seine test fisheries. Gill net test fisheries in the Fraser River have not fished the last two days due to the Area E commercial fisheries on Wednesday and Thursday.

Daily Mission escapement estimates have decreased to 69,000 on August 16 due to the recent Area E fisheries. The estimated total Sockeye escapement to August 16 is 2,301,800.

The next in-season meeting of the Fraser River Panel is scheduled to occur on Tuesday, August 21.