Population and individual identification of coho salmon in British Columbia through parentage-based tagging and genetic stock identification: an alternative to coded-wire tags

Abstract

Parentage-based tagging (PBT) and genetic stock identification (GSI) were used to identify individual coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) to specific populations and brood years. In total, 20 242 individuals from 117 populations were genotyped at 304 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) via direct sequencing of amplicons. Coho salmon from 15 populations were assigned via parentage analysis that required the genotypes of both parents. The overall accuracy of assignment for 1939 coho salmon to the correct population was 100%, and to correct brood year within population was also 100%. Inclusion of individuals requiring only a single parental genotype for identification resulted in assignments of 2101 individuals, with an accuracy of 99.95% (2000–2001) to population and 100.0% to age. With 23 regions defined by the coded-wire tag (CWT) program, and individuals displaying an assignment probability <0.85 excluded from the analysis, mean regional assignment accuracy of individuals via GSI was 98.4% over all 23 regions. A PBT–GSI or PBT system of identification will provide an alternate method of identification in the assessment and management of Canadian-origin coho salmon relative to the existing CWT program.