Federal Subsistence Board News

A public hearing is scheduled for 6:00–8:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 11, 2019, at the Northwest Arctic Borough, Assembly Room, located at 163 Lagoon Street, in Kotzebue, to receive public testimony on a Temporary Special Action request received by the Federal Subsistence Board (Board).

Districts Affected: Yukon AreaThe Chinook run size is forecasted to be similar in size to the 2018 run. The Chinook salmon run timing is predicted to be average this year. Water levels are very high; however, woody debris is not currently affecting test-fishing near the mouth of the river.

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon AreaBased on preseason projections, the 2019 Chinook salmon run on the Yukon River is anticipated to have average run timing, and similar run size to last year. Consistent catches of Chinook salmon have been detected in the Lower Yukon River Test Fishery; therefore, the subsistence fishing schedule is being reduced to half the regulatory (windows) fishing schedule. This is intended to limit the harvest on early groups of Chinook salmon while more information about the timing and strength of the run is collected. In response to feedback from fishermen from Districts 2 and 3 at the spring preseason meeting, opening times have been changed from last year in order to provide more fishing opportunity during the weekend.

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon AreaBased on preseason projections, the 2019 Chinook salmon run on the Yukon River is anticipated to have average run timing, and similar run size to last year. Consistent catches of Chinook salmon have been detected in the Lower Yukon River Test Fishery; therefore, the subsistence fishing schedule is being reduced to half the regulatory (windows) fishing schedule. This is intended to limit the harvest on early groups of Chinook salmon while more information about the timing and strength of the run is collected. Because Chinook salmon tend to enter the south mouth early in the season and shift to the north mouth later in the season, the reduced subsistence schedule will be delayed in the north mouth around the village of Kotlik for one week (please see map below).

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chignik Area Federal Inseason Manager and the Office of Subsistence Management staff will hold a subsistence fishing stakeholder meeting at the Chignik Bay Community hall on Friday, June 7 from 4:00 – 5:30 pm.  The purpose of the meeting is to provide all interested parties an opportunity to discuss the upcoming salmon season with USFWS staff.

In consultation with the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Federal In-season Manager announces the opening of the Federal public waters of the Kuskokwim River main-stem within the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge boundary to the use of gillnets for the harvest of Chinook Salmon by Federally qualified subsistence users identified in the Section 804 subsistence user prioritization analysis, which includes residents of the Kuskokwim River drainage and the villages of Chefornak, Kipnuk, Kwigillingok, and Kongiganak, for 12 hours effective June 19, 2019 from 06:00 AM until 06:00 PM.

In consultation with the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Federal In-season Manager announces the opening of the Federal public waters of the Kuskokwim River main-stem within the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge boundary to the use of gillnets for the harvest of Chinook Salmon by Federally qualified subsistence users identified in the Section 804 subsistence user prioritization analysis, which includes residents of the Kuskokwim River drainage and the villages of Chefornak, Kipnuk, Kwigillingok, and Kongiganak, for 12 hours effective June 15, 2019 from 06:00 AM until 06:00 PM.

In consultation with the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Federal In-season Manager announces the opening of the Federal public waters of the Kuskokwim River main-stem within the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge boundary to the use of gillnets for the harvest of Chinook Salmon by Federally qualified subsistence users identified in the Section 804 subsistence user prioritization analysis, which includes residents of the Kuskokwim River drainage and the villages of Chefornak, Kipnuk, Kwigillingok, and Kongiganak, for 12 hours effective June 12, 2019 from 06:00 AM until 06:00 PM.

In consultation with the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Federal In-season Manager announces one 12-hour set gillnet opportunities for Federally qualified subsistence users identified in the Section 804 subsistence user prioritization analysis, which includes residents of the Kuskokwim River drainage and the villages of Chefornak, Kipnuk, Kwigillingok, and Kongiganak, to harvest Chinook Salmon on Federal public waters of the Kuskokwim River main stem, except for the waters of the Kuskokwim River mainstem referred to as the Aniak Box (see 3-KS-03-19) on June 8, 2019. The start time and end time for this opportunity is from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

Districts Affected: Yukon AreaThe 2019 salmon season has begun on the Yukon River. The Chinook run size is forecasted to be similar in size to the 2018 run. The Chinook salmon run timing is predicted to be average this year, despite one of the earliest river break-ups on record. The first subsistence-caught summer chum and Chinook salmon were reported in the lower river on May 23rd. The first summer chum and Chinook salmon were caught in the Lower Yukon Test Fishery (LYTF) on June 2 and June 3, respectively, and catch rates have remained relatively low for both species. Water levels are very high with large amounts of wood debris affecting subsistence and test-fishery set nets.