Federal Subsistence Board News

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon AreaDistrict 2 Commercial Fishing:Commercial fishing will be open for one period in District 2, from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. Tuesday, August 21. This will be a 4-hour commercial fishing period with gillnets restricted to 6-inch or smaller mesh size. Commercial fishermen need to confirm their buyer prior to fishing. A reminder to fishermen that the Andreafsky River is closed to commercial fishing.

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon Area District 1 Commercial Fishing:Commercial fishing will open for one period in the Set Net Only Area of District 1 on Monday, August 20 from 12:00 noon until 9:00 p.m. This will be a 9-hour commercial fishing period for the Set Net Only Area with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets. The remainder of District 1 will be open to commercial fishing on Monday, August 20 from 3:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. This will be a 6-hour commercial fishing period with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets.

YAKUTAT, Alaska – The Yakutat District Ranger, under delegated authority from the Federal Subsistence Board, is issuing an emergency special action to open the hunting season for moose in Unit 5A, east of the Dangerous River, from Sept. 16 – Nov. 15, 2018, by joint State/Federal registration permit. Additionally, those Federally-managed public lands will be closed to the taking of moose from Sept. 16 – Sept. 30 to all but Federally-qualified subsistence users. Only Alaska residents with their permanent, primary household in Unit 5A are Federally-qualified to hunt moose in Unit 5A.

Due to administrative delays in the Federal Rule Making Process, the Federal Subsistence Board (Board) has approved temporary delegated authority to some Federal land managers to issue special actions enacting changes to Federal Subsistence Regulations adopted by the Board at its April 2018 regulatory meeting. This delegation of authority is established pursuant to 36 CFR 242.10(d)(6) and 50 CFR 100.10(d)(6).Pursuant to this temporary delegated authority, the Federal land manager for Bureau of Land Management lands in Unit 23 (see map) is issuing an emergency special action to close Federal public lands within the Squirrel River drainage to caribou hunting by all except Federally qualified subsistence users. This special action is effective immediately and will expire in 60 days or when the 2018-2020 Federal Subsistence Wildlife Regulations are published in the Federal Register, whichever occurs first.

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon AreaDistrict 2 Commercial Fishing:Commercial fishing will be open for one period in District 2, from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. Saturday, August 18. This will be a 4-hour commercial fishing period with gillnets restricted to 6-inch or smaller mesh size. Commercial fishermen need to confirm their buyer prior to fishing. A reminder to fishermen that the Andreafsky River is closed to commercial fishing.

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon Area District 1 Commercial Fishing:Commercial fishing will open for one period in the Set Net Only Area of District 1 on Saturday, August 18 from 12:00 noon until 9:00 p.m. This will be a 9-hour commercial fishing period for the Set Net Only Area with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets. The remainder of District 1 will be open to commercial fishing on Saturday, August 18 from 3:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. This will be a 6-hour commercial fishing period with 6-inch or smaller mesh gillnets.

The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) has approved Emergency Special Action WSA18-02, with modification, to establish an emergency Federal moose season in the Unit 18 Kuskokwim hunt area from August 18 through August 31, to residents of Tuluksak only. The Board has authorized the manager of the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) to issue Federal registration permits for the harvest of up to seven antlered bulls during this emergency season and to close Federal public lands in this hunt area until September 1 if that quota is met. 

CRAIG, Alaska – The Craig/Thorne Bay District Ranger is issuing an emergency special action to restrict the harvest limit of deer by non-Federally qualified users to up to two male deer on federally- managed public lands in Unit 2. This emergency special action is effective immediately and will expire in 60 days or when the 2018-2020 Federal Subsistence Wildlife Regulations are published in the Federal Register, whichever occurs first.

Districts Affected: Upper Yukon AreaThe 2018 fall chum salmon inseason run projection is 700,000 to 900,000 fish. This level of abundance is anticipated to be sufficient to meet escapement and subsistence needs and provide a surplus for commercial and personal use purposes. Because of the Chinook salmon restrictions put in place in the Yukon Area this season, the department is increasing the opportunity to harvest fall chum salmon for subsistence use. Therefore, the current subsistence salmon fishing schedule in Subdistricts 5-A, 5-B, and 5-C is being relaxed.

Districts Affected: Upper Yukon AreaThe 2018 fall chum salmon inseason run projection is 700,000 to 900,000 fish. This level of abundance is anticipated to be sufficient to meet escapement and subsistence needs and provide a surplus for commercial and personal use purposes. As a result of the Chinook salmon restrictions put in place in the Yukon Area this season, the department is increasing the opportunity to harvest fall chum salmon for subsistence use. Therefore, the current subsistence salmon fishing schedule in District 4 is being relaxed.