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Joint Technical Committee

The Joint Technical Committee (JTC), responsible for getting the best science and management expertise possible to support the YR Panel, was established as an international advisory committee to evaluate management plans and escapement goals for the trans-boundary stocks of salmon within the Yukon River drainage. The JTC is comprised of representatives from both State and Federal agencies, and local and regional organizations in the U.S. and Canada. The JTC meets twice a year and is charged with various tasks related primarily to Yukon River salmon stock assessment and management, including but not limited to:

 JTC Meeting
JTC Meeting

  • Reporting on preseason outlooks and postseason reviews to the YR Panel;

  • Examining management regimes and recommending how they may be improved to achieve escapement objectives;

  • Evaluating the status of Canadian-origin salmon stocks and making recommendations for adjustments to rebuilding programs;

  • Technically reviewing and evaluating proposals submitted to the Restoration and Enhancement Fund (R&E Fund); and

  • Coordinating special research projects.

Providing technical support to the Panel, the JTC prepares standard season summary reports, including a review of all the fisheries (commercial, sport, subsistence, First Nation, etc), status of spawning stocks, and R&E Fund project summaries. The JTC also reviews the status of escapement goals, marine fisheries information, and project proposals for the R&E Fund.

As of 2002, the JTC began developing a strategic plan for salmon research in the Yukon River drainage. The JTC Strategic Plan is intended to guide the use of funds, made available through the R&E Fund and from various sources, toward filling informational gaps. This is the first drainage-wide plan to include all aspects of research and not be limited to restoration and enhancement. Lack of knowledge makes managing the salmon fishery difficult. Hopefully, this plan will help to provide guidance for managing, protecting, restoring and aiding the sustainable use of Canadian-origin salmon stocks.

JTC Whitehorse 2006 - Courtesy of Andy Bassich