Are individuals capable of reproduction currently available to improve the population growth rate or population abundance?
The 2000-2003 average spawning escapement abundance for Interior Fraser Coho was 38,595 naturally spawning fish with the lowest level being 18,484 (Table 4). The biological feasibility of recovery depends on the potential of populations to increase in abundance, in the face of risk factors. Population growth can occur when the number of recruits (R, the number of returning, pre-fishery adults, three years later) exceeds the parent population size (S, spawners), that is, when R/S is greater than 1.0. The overall population growth rate for coho salmon is the result of the combination of freshwater and marine survival rates. For example, a reduced or degraded freshwater habitat can reduce freshwater survival, resulting in a lower number of smolts produced per spawner, which may result in low or negative population growth rates when combined with a low smolt to adult marine survival rate. The productivity of Interior Fraser Coho can be evaluated using spawner and recruitment estimates and
