Changes in Size and Age at Maturity of Columbia River Upriver Bright Fall Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): Implications for Stock Fitness, Commercial Value, and Management
Abstract
The average size and age of Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) caught in commercial fisheries along the Pacific Coast of North America have decreased substantially in this century. These declines might be caused in part by changes in size and age at maturity within the stocks contributing to those fisheries. Upriver Brights (Brights), a stock of fall Chinook Salmon in the Columbia River, are one of these stocks. The purposes of this study were to (1) determine if average size and age at maturity of Brights have declined, (2) gain a better understanding of the factors that may contribute to such declines, and (3) describe potential consequences of these changes.
Authors
Citation
Beaty, R.E. 1996. Changes in size and age at maturity of Columbia River Upriver Bright fall Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha): implications for stock fitness, commercial value, and management. Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Technical Report 96-7. Portland, OR. 100p.