Salmon Egg Collection Project in Tatsamenie Lake, British Columbia

Title

Salmon Egg Collection Project in Tatsamenie Lake, British Columbia

Contracting Period

Upon contract award through to July 31, 2019, with option to renew for 3 additional 1 year periods at the sole discretion of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)

Option periods if exercised will be August 1, 2019 through to July 31, 2020, August 1, 2020 through to July 31, 2021 and August 1, 2021 through to July 31, 2022. 

The Project work will take place between approximately August 1 and October 15 each year. Draft summary report is to be submitted by November 10, 2018 and the Final summary report is to be submitted by December 31, 2018. If option years are exercised exact date will be confirmed by the Project Authority each option year.

Introduction

Tatsamenie Lake is located at the headwaters of Tatsatua Creek, a tributary of the Sheslay River and in turn the Taku River. Tatsamenie Lake is accessible only by air. It is approximately 160 and 110 air km from Atlin and Telegraph Creek respectively, and 100 air km from Snettisham Hatchery in Juneau, Alaska. Sockeye escapements returning to Tatsamenie Lake are variable based on counts since 1985 at the Little Tatsamenie Lake weir. Tatsamenie Lake Sockeye migrate up the Taku River with peak numbers passing through the Little Tatsamenie Lake weir August 24 - September 5. Mean travel time is approximately 30 days. Historic return information and reporting is available from the Scientific Authority.

The Tatsamenie Lake Sockeye egg take is part of a joint enhancement program of Transboundary rivers involving Canada and the United States. The Transboundary Rivers Annex of the Pacific Salmon Treaty outlines the enhancement objectives for the Taku River. 

The Tatsamenie Lake enhancement project has been completed annually since 1989. The enhancement project includes the collection of Sockeye Salmon brood stock from Tatsamenie Lake for egg takes and transfer of those eggs to Snettisham Hatchery in Alaska for incubation.

Objectives

Beginning in summer 2018, the Contractor is to operate the Tatsamenie Lake weir in order to collect eggs and milt from the Tatsamenie Lake Sockeye stock in B.C., fertilize on site, and transport the water hardened eggs to the Port Snettisham Hatchery in Alaska. In addition to this, during weir operation, information is to be collected including the description below. This is the first year of the proposed contract with an option to extend the contract annually in the 2020, 2021 and 2022 summer field seasons at the discretion of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The egg collection target may change annually based on DFO objectives determined through communication and collaboration with the Transboundary Technical Committee and Panel. For the 2018 season, the contractor will be required to supply 2.5 million, or a maximum of 30 percent of the Tatsamenie Lake sockeye spawning escapement, fertilised, water hardened, Sockeye eggs to the Snettisham hatchery.