Federal Subsistence Board News

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon AreaFall Season Emergency Order # 29​District 1 Commercial Fishing:Commercial fishing will be open for one period in District 1, including the Set Net Only Area, from 6:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Saturday, August 12. This will be a 4-hour commercial fishing period with gillnets restricted to six-inch or smaller mesh.

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon AreaFall Season Emergency Order # 28                                                               District 1 Commercial Fishing:Commercial fishing will be open for one period in the Set Net Only Area of District Y-1 from 1:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Friday, August 11. This will be a 9-hour commercial fishing period for the Set Net Only Area with gillnets restricted to six-inch or smaller mesh.

SITKA, Alaska - The Sitka District Ranger, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, is closing the Lake Diana zone to the harvest of mountain goats. The closure will be effective at 11:59 p.m., Thursday August 17, 2017 and will remain in effect through the remainder of the 2017 season which ends December 31.

Districts Affected: Upper Yukon AreaFall Season Emergency Order # 27The 2017 fall chum salmon preseason projection is for a run size greater than 1.1 million fish. The estimated fall chum salmon passage at the mainstem sonar near Pilot Station through August 8 is 482,500 fish, which is well above the historical median of 260,000 fish for that date. Based on inseason run assessment from the Lower Yukon River projects, the fall run size is above average at the historical midpoint of the run, therefore relaxing Subdistricts 5-A, 5-B, & 5-C subsistence fishing to 7 days per week is warranted.

Districts Affected: Upper Yukon AreaFall Season Emergency Order # 26The 2017 fall chum salmon preseason projection is for a run size greater than 1.1 million fish. The estimated fall chum salmon passage at the mainstem sonar near Pilot Station through August 8 is 482,500 fish, which is well above the historical median of 260,000 fish for that date. Based on inseason run assessment from the Lower Yukon River projects, the fall run size is above average at the historical midpoint of the run, therefore relaxing District 4 subsistence fishing to 7 days per week is warranted.

Districts Affected: Upper Yukon AreaFall Season Emergency Order # 25District 6 Commercial Schedule:Commercial salmon fishing in District 6 of the Tanana River is currently open for two 42-hour periods from 6:00 p.m. Fridays until 12:00 noon Sundays, and from 6:00 p.m. Mondays until 12:00 noon Wednesdays. Commercial fishermen may use 7.5-inch or smaller mesh size set gillnets or fish wheels.

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon AreaFall Season Emergency Order # 24                                                                    District 2 Commercial Fishing:Commercial fishing will be open for one period in District 2, from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 9. This will be a 4-hour commercial fishing period with gillnets restricted to 6-inch or smaller mesh size. Commercial fishermen should confirm their buyer before they fish. There will be no tenders operating for this commercial period. Fishermen will only be able to make deliveries to buying stations at St. Mary’s and Mountain Village.

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon AreaFall Season Emergency Order # 23                                           District 1 Commercial Fishing:Commercial fishing will be open for one period in District 1, including the Set Net Only Area, from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 8. This will be a 6-hour commercial fishing period with gillnets restricted to 6-inch or smaller mesh size. 

Districts Affected: Yukon AreaFall Season AssessmentThe 2017 fall chum salmon preseason projection is for a run size greater than 1.1 million fish.  This level of abundance should be sufficient to provide for escapement, an average subsistence harvest, and a surplus available for commercial and personal use purposes. The estimated fall chum salmon run size through August 6 (based on the mainstem sonar near Pilot Station and the downstream harvest) is estimated to be 648,700 fish, which is above the historical median of 315,000 fish for that date. 

Districts Affected: Upper Yukon AreaFall Season Emergency Order # 22The 2017 fall chum salmon preseason run projection is for a run size greater than 1.1 million fish. The estimated fall chum salmon passage at the mainstem sonar near Pilot Station through August 3 is 437,900 fish, which is above the historical median of 209,800 fish for that date.