The Federal Subsistence Board has restricted non-subsistence users from harvesting chum and king salmon this summer as the Kuskokwim is closed to all gillnets under a State action.
The special restriction went into effect June 1 in federal waters from Aniak to the mouth of the Kuskokwim.
With the main stem of the Kuskokwim already closed to all gillnets and targeted king salmon fishing through a state special action, this means only federally qualified users will be able to harvest chum and king salmon after managers decide there can be a harvest opportunity.
Federally qualified subsistence users are defined under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act Section 804 Subsistence User Prioritization Analysis. Priority will depend on customary and direct dependence, local residency, and the availability of alternative resources.
The Federal Subsistence Board determined that the federal in-season manager will provide harvest opportunities for king and chum salmon subsistence fisheries with a combination of management tools including area, timing, and gear restrictions that will be developed in consultation with the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, following the guidelines of the MOU between the commission and the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Federal managers anticipate a greater return of king salmon this year and if all goes well, according to Ray Born, YK Delta Wildlife Refuge Manager, they expect to issue an opening after enough king and chum salmon make it into their spawning grounds.
To see the special action click here.