Skeena River Steelhead Stock Assessment Program: Estimation of the 1994 Commercial Catches in Area 4

The 1994 steelhead catches in the commercial fishery of Area 4 were estimated by reference to the steelhead:sockeye ratio from observer records, and adjusted hail reports. The estimates obtained indicated that approximately 8494 steelhead were caught in Area 4 seine and gill-net fisheries. A comparison of point estimates suggests that fishermen reported, on average, about 1/3 of the steelhead captured. Observer records indicated that steelhead were slightly less susceptible to capture by modified gill-nets as opposed to standard gill-nets.