Pinks

So off the topic question kind of funonion, why only every other year?

They like the odds?

There are small even year runs in canada and even here in WA. I know a few run up the snohomish on even years. They don't care what year it is in alaska.

Actually some areas in Alaska and BC do have runs every other year, some odd year, and some even year.

BTW, I wasn't aware that the runs in WA are odd year because commercials wiped out the even year.  I thought it was a natural occurrence that wiped out the majority of the even year runs.  As Rory said, there are some even year pinks, especially in the snoho.  I think the snoho run has been in the teen thousands in recent even years.

Why a sensitivity to every other year.  Pinks have a 2 year lifecycle and rarely more, unlike other salmon that can be 2 to 5+ years old at maturity.  If the other salmon have a bad year, then neighboring years can help recover.  Not so for pinks.

-Allen

Sorry, my post about overfishing was me being a smartass. I really didn't think anyone would believe me

Here is the answer from the WDFW.
http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/salmon/pink.html

Maybe if we can cryogenically freeze some pink eggs and sperm, we can establish an even year run down here.

I couldn't find an explanation on line other than earthqauke or natural disaster. But puns are always funny.

It's kind of interesting.  The genetic differences between odd and even year fish in WA are greater than the genetic differences of odd year fish in BC and AK.

-Allen

It's kind of interesting.  The genetic differences between odd and even year fish in WA are greater than the genetic differences of odd year fish in BC and AK.

-Allen

I've heard that they are trying to reestablish the even year run here in Wa by bringing eggs from BC or Alaska to local hatcheries. I can't verify that, but it might help explain the genetic differences if that is the case.
Gerald

It's kind of interesting.  The genetic differences between odd and even year fish in WA are greater than the genetic differences of odd year fish in BC and AK.

-Allen

I've heard that they are trying to reestablish the even year run here in Wa by bringing eggs from BC or Alaska to local hatcheries. I can't verify that, but it might help explain the genetic differences if that is the case.
Gerald

What I was trying to say is the the genetic differences between a WA odd year fish and an AK odd year fish are less than a WA off year fish and a WA even year fish.  The odd and even year fish as so "isolated" that they have diverged genetically.  I find that fascinating.

-Allen

BTW, the snoho even year run was as high as 140K in 2004, but has fallen off to almost nothing since.

https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/score/score/species/population_details.jsp?stockId=4465

-Allen