En route salmon mortality does occur. That means that salmon died before spawning. I am not sure on how you guys identified that this fish has spawned out. Did anyone cut his gut open to see if the sperm bag is empty or if the eggs are gone?? The suggested finger prints look a lot more like sea lice scars to me and not fingermarks.
During august and September, I have seen tons of floating fishes on both the Fraser and Harrison,(sockeyes) and they died before spawning. Both the sperm bag and the eggs were still with the fishes, and in most cases, actually were blow out of the fish. They were en route deaths cause by disease. From what I have learned, the eye popping out, making it easier for the birds to grap can be attributed to be caused by the disease spread by the sea lice's. It is the first symptom of what is called "salmon leukemia. I have seen sockeye' eyes blowed right out and the carcasses still chrome , fresh and full of sperm and eggs. All the dead sockeyes I have seen floating on the river were both chrome, fresh and way before having any chances to spawn. I have seen thousands floating during the last months of summer.
So, before making all kinds of conclusion and jokes, please remember that something is going on with the increase amount of sea lice infections, and that en route mortality is in increasing numbers. And, please hope that this scenario is not propagating to the Chums as well.
I am no expert in the matter, but, it is easy to tell when a fish died before spawning or when fresh and chrome fishes are floating on the river, with multiple scars from the sea lice, and that they entire organs are bursting out of their bodies, that there is something wrong.