Status of Cultus Lake sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) : État du stock de saumon rouge (Oncorhynchus nerka) du lac Cultus

Studies of spawner abundance, lake characteristics and juvenile production began with the work of the Pacific Biological Station in the 1920’s and have continued until the present with the work of the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. [...] The escapement of Cultus sockeye adults declined by 51% over the last three generations, a continuation of a trend that began following the construction of the Weaver Creek spawning channel in the late 1960’s. [...] We also recommend the development of a comprehensive recovery plan that integrates options to improve freshwater survival with harvest controls and other measures, as well as the Department’s support for the ongoing and new studies required to provide information important to our understanding of stock status and to the development of the risk assessment framework and recovery plan. [...] Studies of spawner abundance, lake characteristics and juvenile production began with the work of the Pacific Biological Station in the 1920’s (e.g., Foerster 1929a, 1929b, 1929c 1934, 1936a; Ricker 1935, 1937, 1938a) and have continued until the present with the work of the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission (IPSFC) (e.g., Howard 1948; Cooper 1952) and the Department of Fisheries a [...] Coincident with the recent sharp escapement declines, the timing of the migration into the river and lake has become progressively earlier as part of the broader phenomenon affecting all late run sockeye populations.