2014 Cooper River Numbers

[sergeima]

Here are some pictures of the current run, which so far is the second record high. It seems,
these hatcheries work all right.

My numbers show that the second week of sonar counting 5/19-25 gave +90,400 fish over the
expected number for that period, which resulted in supplemenal period 6/7-8. The good news is,
the third week of counting, 5/26-6/1, also gave +65,400 of excess. So we have all reasons to
believe that 6/9-15 will also be a supplemental week.

Too early to say anything about 6/16-22, but beginning of the current week is promising.
Preliminary, it is about +20,000 fish in excess of expected, +30,000 to go over five remaining
days.

[andweav]

None of these early fish are hatchery fish.

If what you mean is that hatchery fish work well for sustaining the commercial fleet through the season and allowing them to watch the bulk of the early run charge up the rivers untouched, you are correct. In this river at this time for this species (sockeye)

Says nothing of the impact on other species in the oceans and rivers.

Awesome run of fish so far though. Anyone know if there are signs in Cordova of them tailing off?


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[dudemandude]

where's cooper river again? :P

[Brother Francis]

Dudemandude... I think the Copper River is in Montana close to Andaconda

[sergeima]

None of these early fish are hatchery fish.

F&G believes that Gulkana I & II hatcheries contribute up to 20% to the Copper total run (http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/FedAidPDFs/SP14-10.pdf , pp66-68). As a regular dipnetter, I see that situation in Copper has changed indeed during last several years. One record follows another.

There is a theory around that these records are echos of "finomenal" runs of 2006 and 2007, but biologists claim that it was mostly over in 2011 and 2012.

[Grayling Slayer]

With the kings in decline and record reds I wonder if they are both competing for the same limited food sources?

[sergeima]

Getting better by day. Today's (actually, yesterday's) count is

39,389

This is 7.5 ratio to 0600 count, which is indication of growing entrance of fish (nominal ratio should be around 4)
Even better 0600 count for today and tomorrow, it is 9,279. Very good chance that tomorrow count will be above 30,000.

A couple of days like this and the current cumulative value will be record high.

[sergeima]

With the kings in decline and record reds I wonder if they are both competing for the same limited food sources?

we cannot exclude commercial catch here. They definitely compete for the same limited food source