Research fishery biologist reviewing SNP sockeye salmon data.

Provisions of the 1999 Pacific Salmon Treaty specify harvest sharing arrangements of Nass and Skeena River sockeye salmon returns for the United States and Canada. The United States is allowed to harvest a fixed percentage of the annual harvest of Nass and Skeena sockeye salmon stocks in Alaska's District 101 gillnet and District 104 purse-seine fisheries. Accurate estimates of the stock-specific catch in commercial fisheries of each nation are required to estimate the total return of these stocks, and the percentage of each stock caught in treaty-limited fisheries.

Close-up view of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) results generated from sockeye salmon samples.

Recent genetic techniques using DNA analysis show increased resolution of stock identification over scale pattern analysis. Additional benefits of using genetic methods include the capability to provide in-season results and the use of a baseline that does not require annual sampling. The Auke Bay Laboratory will provide stock identification for weekly samples of commercial catches of sockeye salmon from the 2006 District 101 and 104 fisheries, using a suite of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers developed by Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Co-investigators and cooperating agencies:
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Funding:
Pacific Salmon Commission, Northern Boundary Fund

Contact
Chuck Guthrie
Auke Bay Laboratories
Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries

Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute
17109 Pt Lena Loop Rd
Juneau AK 99801
(907) 789-6093
Chuck.Guthrie@noaa.gov