Federal Subsistence Board News

The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) will hold a work session August 15 – 16, 2019, beginning at 9:00 a.m. each day. The work session will be held at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Alaska Regional Office building, Gordon Watson Conference Room, at 1011 East Tudor Road in Anchorage.  

Districts Affected: Upper Yukon AreaWith passage at Pilot Station sonar of nearly 1.4 million summer chum salmon, a commercial surplus of summer chum is available for harvest. Despite low summer chum counts at the escapement projects on the Chena and Salcha Rivers, the late arrival of large groups of Tanana-bound fish indicates chum will be arriving through the month of August. Therefore, the commercial fishery is being reopened on the Tanana River. 

Districts Affected: Upper Yukon AreaThe summer chum passage at Pilot Station sonar was estimated to be nearly 1.4 million fish. However, escapements into the Tanana River, while much later than normal, appear lower than expected for a drainage-wide run of this size. As of July 28, less than 1,000 summer chum salmon have been counted at the Salcha River Tower project and less than 700 summer chum salmon have been counted at the Chena River Tower project. These counts are well below the respective median counts of 9,600 and 4,600 fish for this date. Due to concern for a low return of summer chum salmon in the Tanana River, commercial fishing in District 6 will close.

Districts Affected: Yukon AreaThe 2019 fall chum salmon preseason run projection, based on the summer chum to fall chum salmon relationship, is for a run size of 625,000 fall chum salmon with a range of 500,000 to 750,000 fish. Run sizes within this range are expected to provide for escapement and subsistence use needs. The estimated fall chum salmon run size through July 28 is 273,000 fish, which is above the historical median of 146,000 fish for that date. The front of the fall season chum salmon migration is expected to be near Nulato August 2, Ruby around August 5, and Tanana/Huslia around August 9, Rampart around August 8, Fort Yukon around August 16 and the Canadian border around August 26.

Districts Affected: Upper Yukon AreaInseason estimates of the Canadian-origin run size was for a run near the upper end of the preseason forecast.  Despite fishing districts being placed on reduced schedules, gillnet restrictions, and pulled periods, passage at Eagle Sonar as of July 28 is just over 27,000 Chinook salmon, which is below the historical average for this date of 41,000 fish. The run appears to be later than normal and based on counts earlier this season at Pilot Station sonar, a larger group of Chinook salmon should be nearing the border in the next few days. To help meet the escapement goal and harvest share objective, subsistence fishing in Subdistrict 5-D will be closed in order to allow more escapement into Canada.

SITKA, Alaska – Sitka District Ranger Perry Edwards, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, is closing South Baranof and Necker Bay zones to the harvest of mountain goats. The closure will be effective Wednesday, July 31, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. and will remain in effect through the rest of the 2019 season which ends December 31. 

Districts Affected: Upper Yukon AreaThe 2019 fall chum salmon preseason projection, based on the summer chum to fall chum salmon relationship, is for a run size of 625,000 fish with a range of 500,000 to 750,000 fish. Run sizes within this range are expected to provide for escapement and subsistence needs. The commercial fishing season is open in District 4, however, there are no buyers registered in the district. In accordance with the Yukon River Drainage Fall Chum Salmon Management Plan, a threshold run size of 550,000 fish is necessary to open a fall chum salmon directed commercial fishery. Commercial harvest is allowed on the surplus above 550,000. Processors, catcher sellers, or direct marketers interested in operating in District 4 should notify the department by contacting the Fairbanks office at 459-7274.

YAKUTAT, Alaska – Yakutat District Ranger Lee Benson, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, is closing the 2019 Federal subsistence mountain goat hunting season for a portion of Unit 5A. The closed area begins on the west shore of Harlequin Lake and the western edge of Yakutat Glacier; then west of Harlequin Lake and Yakutat Glacier to Yakutat Bay and Disenchantment Bay; and south of Russell and Nunatak Fjords. The closure will be effective Wednesday, July 31, 2019, at 11:59 p.m., and will remain in effect until through January 31, 2020. 

Districts Affected: Upper Yukon AreaWith passage at Pilot Station sonar of nearly 1.4 million summer chum salmon, a commercial surplus of summer chum is available for harvest in the Tanana River. The majority of the king run should be through Nenana, and chum passage should be ramping up. 

Districts Affected: Upper Yukon AreaThe Canadian-origin run size, based on genetic data and the Chinook salmon passage at Pilot Station sonar, was estimated to be about 95,000 fish, which is above the upper end of the pre-season forecast of 69,000 to 99,000 fish.  The department has switched to projecting the run size based on inseason passage at the Eagle sonar project and current run timing. The run appears to be about 2 to 3 days later than normal. Therefore, the approximately 16,000 Chinook counted at the Eagle sonar likely represents between 25% and 36% of the expected total passage at the project.