Assessment of the influence of winter and spring climate-oceanological conditions on the abundance of pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha returns in North-East Kamchatka for the use in operational forecasting the stock dyna

The article represent analysis of the influence of a complex of climate and oceanological factors during winter and spring feeding of pink salmon in the Bering Sea and adjacent waters of Northern Pacific Ocean on formation of the abundance of pink salmon returns (runs) in North-East Kamchatka. The factors analyzed included sea/ocean surface temperature anomalies ( SSTa ) in the areas of wintering and early prespawning migrations of examined group of stocks of the species and several regional climate indices: WP (the West-Pacific oscillation), PDO (the Pacific decade oscillation), AO (the Arctic oscillation) and NPGO (North-Pacific gyre oscillation). The SSTa , WP and PDO were estimated as the most significant predictors. As a result of the research there were multivariate prognostic models of the type “stock-recruitment” or “ocean accounts – return” made taking into account the climate and oceanological factors. Operational improvement based on these models get applicable to correct long-term forecasts of the abundance of pink salmon returns in North-East Kamchatka right before salmon fishing campaign.