A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z #

Select the first letter of the word from the list above to jump to appropriate section of the glossary. If the term you are looking for starts with a digit or symbol, choose the '#' link.

- A -

Adipose Clip

The adipose fin is the small fleshy nub of a fin which is common to all salmon that is situated between the dorsal (the fin on the fish’s back) and the caudal (tail) fin. The term adipose clipped refers to a missing adipose fin, which indicates the fish was produced in a hatchery and contains a coded-wire-tags (link this to the definition for CWT’s).

Albion Test Fishery

This is definition for the Albion Test Fishery

Alevin

A stage of embryonic development of salmon or related fish referring to fish recently hatched from the egg and before absorption of the yolk sac and emergence from the spawning gravel.

Anadramous Salmon

Refers to fish in the family salmonidae, which grow to adult size in the ocean and migrate into fresh water to spawn. Trout (such as rainbow and cut-throat) and Char (Dolly Varden, bull trout) and whitefish are in the same family as pacific salmon, but stay in fresh water their entire life. Steelhead are rainbow trout that behave as pacific salmon.

Antecedent Year

The year when the fish were spawned.

- B -

By-catch

Refers to a catch on a non-target species of fish during fisheries directed at other species. A good example of by-catch is the steelhead captured during fisheries for chum and sockeye salmon. Since these 3 species have overlapping migration timings, it is difficult to harvest one without taking some of the other.

- C -

Catch ceiling

A specified limit placed upon the harvest of any particular species of stock of fish, in other terms a quota.

CPUE

Catch per unit effort. A common method fisheries biologists use to compare the relative abundance of fish between one area of habitat and another where the only common link is the method you used to catch the fish. Catch per unit effort can be applied to a number situations, including the number fish captured divided by the amount of time it took to catch the fish (fish per hour), or by the number of seine sets made to catch fish (fish per seine set), or even the number of fish captured per square meter of net over a specific time period (fish per meter per hour).

Crustaceans

Large class of animals, mostly aquatic, with hard shells such as crabs, lobsters, shrimps. Includes many microscopic organisms.

Cyclic Dominance

Definition for Cyclic Dominance.

CWT

Coded Wire Tag. Small thin wire pins about 2 mm long placed in the nose of hatchery raised Chinook juveniles. Each tag provides reference to where the Chinook was raised, the year it was released, how it was grown and other biological information.

- D -

DFO

Department of Fisheries and Oceans -- Canada’s federal agency which oversees all aspects of management of anadramous species of salmon except for Steelhead. Steelhead and non-anadramous species of salmon (Steelhead, trout, char etc.) are under the jurisdiction of provincial government agencies, such as the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks (MELP).

- E -

Emergence

When larval Chinook (also called alevin) leave the gravel they hatched in to become fry.

Escapement

Fish that avoid or escape all fisheries and return to spawn at their home stream

Estuary

A mouth of a river where its fresh water meets salt water and is influenced by the tides

Exploited/Exploitation

Another term for fishing.

- F -

Fishway

An arrangement of successive pools enabling a fish to ascend falls or a dam

Freshet

A sudden, rapid increase in water levels in a stream, caused by heavy rains and/or melting snow. Freshets are usually associated with spring-time conditions, although it in coastal areas, they may also occur in the fall.

Fry

The young stage of fishes, particularly after the yolk sac has been absorbed.

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- G -

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- H -

Habitat

The native environment of animal or plant; the kind of place that is natural for the life and growth of an animal or plant; e.g. a tropical habitat.

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- I -

Indexing

This is the definition for indexing.

- J -

Jacks

Male salmon that return to the spawning grounds prior to reaching maturity.

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- K -

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- L -

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- M -

Migration Timings

When sockeye enter the Fraser River.

Migration-abundance Curve

Definition for migration-abundance curve

Milt

The sperm cells of male fish with the fluid containing them. During spawning, the male releases milt as the female deposits her eggs.

Mission Sounding Station

Definition for Mission Sounding Station.

- N -

natal streams

Definition for natal streams.

- O -

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- P -

Pacific Salmon Commission

Definition for PSC.

Pacific Salmon Treaty

Description of the Pacific Salmon Treaty

Preseason forecasts

An annual “best guess” at the expected size of returns of sockeye salmon, released by the Pacific Salmon Commission.

- Q -

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- R -

Rear

Another term for grow.

Redd

The depression in which salmon deposit their eggs

Run

A group of animals/fish born and reared together and, in the case of salmon, that return to the same stream to spawn.

 

- S -

Smolt

A juvenile, silvery salmon up to 15cm long, which has lost its parr marks and has attained the silverly coloration of the adult. This coloration signifies the readiness of the young fish to migrate to the seas and its ability to adapt to the water environment.

Spawn

To lay and fertilize eggs.

 

Smolts

Juvenile salmon which after they have hatched from the gravel, have reared in freshwater for one year or more, and then migrate downstream. There are Chinook, coho and sockeye smolts.

Spawning Escapement

Escapement refers to salmon which have escaped all fisheries, and survived to return to the stream in which they were born, and successfully spawn.

Stock Complexes

Stock complexes refer to a group of individual sockeye stocks which have similar migration timings

Stocks

A distinct group or run of salmon that return to the stream in which they are born. Salmon stocks exist for every species of salmon. Just as sockeye salmon are different from Chinook salmon, individual stocks of sockeye salmon are different from each other, possibly on the basis of genetics

- T -

Test Fishery

A special fishery which is used to estimate the strength of returning salmon stocks.

Timing Abundance Curves

Definition for Timing Abundance Curves.

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- Z -

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- # -

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