What are the statistics (a graph or table would be preferable) for the
worldwide wild (fish born into the wild) pacific salmon population
for the past twenty years?

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Request for Question Clarification by digsalot-ga on 27 Dec 2002 01:24 PST

Each stock of Pacific Salmon is considered a separate population when
it comes to a count and is charted and logged as such.  Which are you
interested in?  - Chinook Salmon - Chum Salmon - Coho Salmon - Pink
Salmon - Sockeye Salmon - There is also Masu Salmon which is Asian in
origin but is part of the Pacific Salmon group as well.

While it seems it would be easy to add them all together and create a
population chart, it would require that one of our researchers
accomplish what the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission
has of yet been unable to do.  They have been unable to do it because
there are many variables in life cycle between the species, the amount
of time each species spends in the Pacific as opposed to spawning
waters and on top of that, not all stocks have even been counted.  As
an example,  there have been more than 9,600 salmon stocks indentified
in Canadian Pacific Coast waters and only a little over 5000 of them
have been assessed in any manner whatever.

Some species, such as the Chinook may spawn in the Pacific region but
are considered part of the pelagic fish population of Okhotsk and
Bering seas rather than the Pacific due to their migration habits.

While there are many graphs and population trend figures, they are
Pacific sub-regional and species specific in scope.

There are a couple of charts available which are from quite
radicalized environmentalist groups and those I would not pass on
under any condition, or for any price, as they are purely
propagandistic in nature and claim to do what all the official studies
in the world cannot do.  To use such resources, would in my opinion,
violate our researcher standards of providing accurate and verifiable
information.

If you would be more specific as to which Pacific salmon population/s
you are interested in it would help the researchers provide a clearer
answer.  If you want them all, it may involve the posting of more than
one question.

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Clarification of Question by seriousstudent-ga on 27 Dec 2002 08:45 PST

Thank you so much for taking my question seriously and giving me such
prompt feedback. if you could answer my question in regard to each
main salmon breed: chinook, chum, coho, pink and sockeye seperately,
it would be very helpful.  If you have to choose a specific area, the
pacific northwest would be great, and north america or the world would
be best.

Hi there

I have tried to get the information you wanted, however getting it in
chart or graph form which can be posted here is extremely difficult,
if not impossible, as some stocks are increasing in population, some
are going down and some are remaining steady. (sounds sort of like an
ocean going Wall Street)  Another reason is what graphs and charts are
available are in PDF format which means I can't cut and paste them in
the answer.  I will have to direct you to the PDF file and you will
have to access them yourself.  After I do that, I am going to run away
real fast before you start throwing things.  It is a 260 page, 1.8
megabyte file you will need to download.

Another thing you might find interesting is that the figures come from
the US Forest service.  I guess that means that if I ever need to find
the population of maple trees in southern Ohio, I would need to access
the US Maritime Survey??  I have never been able to figure out the
reasoning behind the way many government agencies operate.

This is one of the regional reports I mentioned.  It is also one of
the most complete studies done to date.  The report deals with salmon
populations in Alaskan waters.  You will find information for coho -
chinook - sockeye - pink - chum - and in that order.

The primary sources for stock specific biological data were computer
files of the ADF&G.  Other sources are reports by the Pacific Salmon
Commission, National Marine Fishery Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries.

The report uses the European system for designating the age and
populations of fish.  In this system, the populations and the number
of years the fish spend in freshwater after hatching are separated
from the population and  number of years spent in saltwater.  The two
figures are separated by a 'period' (.).  For example: a fish of age
class 1.3 has spent one year in freshwater and three years in
saltwater.  A 0.4 fish migrated to saltwater soon after hatching and
spent 4 years in the ocean.  As we progress with this answer, you will
realize that the complexity of these studies pretty much precludes
generalizations and of necessity are limited to regional reports.

The report also admits there are some major weaknesses in any salmon
population count.  The reasons are:  1 - Insufficient sampling within
years, across years and among populations.  2 - Lack of consistancy. 
3 - Low accuracy and precision.  Also, migratory information is
incomplete for all species with the exception of sockeye salmon.  In
most cases, counting and weir operation stopped before the end of the
salmon run and the size of the uncounted portion is unknown.  In
addition, a wide range of other factors can effect the count at a
weir, such as floods.

Just to give you some idea what we are up against, there are an
estimated 2300 stocks of coho salmon in the area.  Full evaluation has
been made on only 48 stocks and incomplete evaluations made on only
129 others.  (Just as a side note:  You will notice the word "stocks"
is used rather interchangeably between speaking of species as well as
speaking of spawning locations.)  Of the stocks studied, most are
stable.  However since 1960, 7 percent (9 stocks) have had a
significent increase and 5.4 percent (7 stocks) with significent
decline.

The statistics, graphs, population fugures and charts include both
wild hatchings as well as hatchery figures in separate as well as
combined forms, harvest figures and charts, habitats by location and
type such as lakes, rivers, and creeks.  Population figures and counts
are divided the same way as well as by sex.  You will even find
fecundity statistics.  You will also find color photos of each variety
of salmon.

I realize there is a lot more information in such a report than you
asked for but to get the figures you want, it all ties together.  The
report also contains excellent bibliographies and citations.

I'm sorry there is no such thing as a simple population chart with
which to answer your question and that such figures have to be sifted
out of a larger whole.  But you will find it all here:
http://www.srs.fs.fed.us/pubs/viewpub.jsp?index=2975 - The PDF file is
about two thirds down the page.

I also need to thank another one of our researchers (tar-heel) who not
only pointed me to your question but did a lot of the leg work before
doing so. - a tip-o-the hat.

I hope the above will be of help.

As for me, I do believe that a salmon steak will be part of tonight's
menu.  Lemon butter too.

Search - google
Terms - salmon populations, pacific salmon populations, salmon
species, pacific northwest salmon populations, regional fisheries
studies

If I may clarify anything before you rate the answer, please ask
before doing so.

Cheers and happy fishing
digsalot