Update 1:40 p.m. Tuesday, June 27: Information about the District 2 commercial openings have been updated with new information from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Nearly two million summer chum are swimming up the Yukon River, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. To give fishermen access to this strong run, the state is opening multiple commercial opportunities this week.
In District 1 there will be two commercial openings: on Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and on Thursday from 5 p.m to 11 p.m.
In the District 1 openings, gillnets are limited to 5.5-inch or smaller mesh, not exceeding 30 meshes in depth. Any king salmon caught during the District 1 commercial opening may be kept for subsistence but cannot be sold.
In Yukon District 2 there will be three commercial openings: on Monday from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. the following day, and on Wednesday and Friday from 4 p.m. to midnight.
King salmon are more abundant in this area, so gillnets may not be used during the District 2 openings. Instead, fishermen are restricted to dip nets and beach seines. All king salmon caught in this district must be released alive to the water and recorded on a fish ticket.
Subsistence fishing in Yukon Districts 1 and 2 will close two hours before and after the commercial openings, as well as during the openings themselves.
