ABSTRACT
The Puget Sound salmon fishery is based on annual runs of five species of mature salmon that pass through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound on their way from ocean feeding grounds to spawning areas on the coast of Washington and British Columbia. Virtually all of the sockeye or red salmon taken in this fishery spawn in the Fraser River system; all of the others—pink, chum, coho, and chinook—originate in other rivers emptying into Puget Sound as well as the Fraser. The fish are taken along their entire migration route in both Canadian and U.S. waters (see Map 2). In addition, chinook and coho salmon are subjected to an intensive troll fishery in the open ocean and at the mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Chinook and coho salmon (and, to a lesser extent, the pinks) are also the object of a major sport fishery extending from the ocean feeding grounds throughout the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound areas. The fishery is characterized by a peculiar annual distribution of the runs. Although the sockeye and pink salmon are the most important species, the latter is available only in odd-numbered years. For reasons not clear to biologists, no runs can be expected in even-numbered years despite intensive efforts to establish them in rivers that produce excellent catches in odd years. Major Fishing Areas in U.S. Waters of Puget Sound and Strait of Juan de Fuca. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781315064024/8ce6c7fc-2cce-4704-8fdd-20f409a27e49/content/map8_2_C.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> Source: Department of Fisheries, State of Washington.
