Productivity (Recruits-per-Spawner) data for Sockeye, Pink, and Chum Salmon from British Columbia

We assembled productivity (i.e. recruits per spawner) estimates for British Columbian Sockeye, Pink, and Chum Salmon. Annual estimates, by brood year, of spawner numbers, catch, and population and age composition were obtained from regional experts and organized in a simple database. Time series were organized by species and biological or spatial unit (Conservation Unit, Pacific Fisheries Management Area, or aggregates of these). Data quality criteria that delineated three categories of data quality, unique to each data type (spawner, catch, and age structure estimates), were used to rate each data type by return year in each time series, and the overall recruit-per-spawner estimates were rated by brood year. The annual data quality ratings of the component data were then used to rate annual recruit-per-spawner data by species and biological or spatial unit and also to generate global estimates across all years for each time series. These data replace previously published estimates, given our more detailed exploration of temporal changes in both field assessment methods and data quality, where both will serve as a useful starting point to assist analysts with their interpretation of data reliability and results.

Ogden, A.D., Irvine, J.R., English, K.K., Grant, S., Hyatt, K.D., Godbout, L., and Holt, C.A. 2015. Productivity (Recruits-per-Spawner) data for Sockeye, Pink, and Chum Salmon from British Columbia. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3130: vi + 57 p.