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The occurrence and run timing of naturally spawning chum salmon in northern Japan

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Abstract

Since the late 20th century, the biomass of Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. has increased. Hokkaido, northern Japan, is one of the main areas of chum salmon O. keta production in the North Pacific and intensive hatchery programs support the recent high abundance. However, proper management of naturally spawning populations is necessary to conserve healthy stocks of this species. In 2008, we started a program to assess the naturally spawning chum salmon populations in Hokkaido. Of the total of approximately 1,500 rivers in Hokkaido, 238 rivers with lengths of longer than 8 km (excluding those rivers used for hatchery broodstock collection) were surveyed in 2008 and 2009. The number of non-enhanced rivers found to contain naturally reproducing chum salmon was 59 (31.4% of surveyed rivers) and 50 (37.6% of surveyed rivers) rivers in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Including the rivers where hatchery broodstock were collected and rivers shorter than 8 km that contain naturally spawning chum salmon, chum salmon ascended at least 191 and 175 rivers in Hokkaido in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Repeated foot surveys indicated that the run timings of naturally spawning chum salmon may be affected by coastal commercial fisheries. This study showed that naturally spawning chum salmon remain in many rivers in Hokkaido where hatchery programs have been intensively conducted.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge Makoto Fujiwara, Hirofumi Hayano, Hajime Omori, Yoshihito Shinriki, Kei-ichi Sugiwaka, Katsumi Takeuchi and researchers of the Hokkaido Fish Hatchery, Katsuya Nakao, Sachiyo Iimura, Houji Okada and staff of Hokkaido Aquaculture Promotion Corporation for their cooperation in the field survey. Comments from Peter Rand and anonymous reviewers are acknowledged. Masaya Takahashi kindly provided information on otolith marking of chum salmon. This study was funded by the Department of Fisheries and Forestry, Hokkaido Prefectural Government and Hokkaido Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Association.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute, Hokkaido Research Organization, 3-373 Kita-Kashiwagi, Eniwa, Hokkaido, 061–1433, Japan

    Yasuyuki Miyakoshi, Hirokazu Urabe, Hayato Saneyoshi, Tomoya Aoyama, Hiroyuki Sakamoto, Daisei Ando, Kiyoshi Kasugai & Mitsuhiro Nagata

  2. Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Kita 9-jyo Nishi 9-chome, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060–8589, Japan

    Yoshio Mishima

  3. Institute of Environmental Sciences, Hokkaido Research Organization, Kita 19-jyo Nishi 12-chome, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060–0819, Japan

    Masayuki Takada

Authors
  1. Yasuyuki Miyakoshi
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  2. Hirokazu Urabe
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  3. Hayato Saneyoshi
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  4. Tomoya Aoyama
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  5. Hiroyuki Sakamoto
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  6. Daisei Ando
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  7. Kiyoshi Kasugai
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  8. Yoshio Mishima
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  9. Masayuki Takada
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  10. Mitsuhiro Nagata
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Correspondence to Yasuyuki Miyakoshi.

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Miyakoshi, Y., Urabe, H., Saneyoshi, H. et al. The occurrence and run timing of naturally spawning chum salmon in northern Japan. Environ Biol Fish 94, 197–206 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-011-9872-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-011-9872-5

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