Federal Subsistence Board Approves New Regulations for Kuskokwim River Drainage Chinook Salmon Fishery

Beginning on June 12, 2017, Federal public waters of the Kuskokwim River drainage will be closed to the harvest of Chinook Salmon except by Federally qualified subsistence users identified in a Section 804 Subsistence Users Prioritization analysis. The Board determined there is a need to restrict the harvest of Chinook Salmon for the conservation of healthy populations and to protect the continuation of subsistence uses as mandated under Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) Section 815. Those eligible to harvest Chinook Salmon under Federal regulations are the following: Federally qualified subsistence users residing in the Kuskokwim River drainage and the coastal communities of Chefornak, Kongiganek, Kipnuk, and Kwigillingok. This Board action supersedes all previous special actions issued by the Federal in-season manager.

The Manager of the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, who is the Federal in-season manager, beginning June 12, may provide harvest opportunity for Chinook Salmon subsistence fisheries using openings, closures, and gear restrictions developed in consultation with the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Commission.

These Temporary Special Actions will expire when the Federal in-season manager re-opens Federal public waters of the Kuskokwim River drainage to the harvest of Chinook Salmon by non-Federally qualified users, or when they are superseded by subsequent special actions, or at the end of the regulatory year on March 31, 2018, whichever comes first.

Additional information on the Federal Subsistence Management Program may be found on the web at www.doi.gov/subsistence or by visiting www.facebook.com/subsistencealaska.

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