Federal Subsistence Board News

The 2018 drainage-wide Chinook salmon outlook is for a run size of 173,000 to 251,000 fish. The upper end of this range is less than the total run observed in 2017. The 2018 run may be large enough to provide for normal subsistence harvests, however, a cautionary approach will be taken early in the season, and inseason management strategies will be based on run assessment information once fish begin entering the river. If assessment indicates the Chinook salmon run size is near the upper end of the range, and goals are projected to be met, subsistence fishing restrictions would likely be relaxed.  If that occurs, commercial chum fishermen may be given the opportunity to sell Chinook salmon incidentally-caught in the chum fishery, but this would likely be at the tail end of the run, when the majority of Chinook salmon have passed upriver for escapement and subsistence harvest purposes.

WRANGELL, Alaska – Wrangell District Ranger Robert Dalrymple, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, is closing the Federal subsistence Chinook Salmon fishery in the Stikine River from May 15 − June 20, 2018. 

The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) will reconvene on May 16, 2018 (beginning at 1:00 p.m.) and May 17, 2018 (beginning at 8:30 a.m.) at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Alaska Regional Office building, Gordon Watson Conference Room, at 1011 East Tudor Road in Anchorage, to address several non-regulatory agenda items that were not completed during their April 2018 meeting. The Board will discuss wildlife delegation of authority revision recommendations, take action on two fisheries special action requests, and receive a presentation by a Partner for Fisheries Monitoring. The Board may discuss other business items during this meeting.The public is encouraged to participate either in person or by teleconference. Throughout the meeting, there will be opportunities for the public to testify on both agenda and non-agenda items. To participate in this meeting by teleconference, dial toll-free (888) 455-5897 (passcode 3344290). The full agenda and any available meeting materials will be posted to the Federal Subsistence Management Program’s website at www.doi.gov/subsistence/archives.The Federal Subsistence Board is committed to providing access to this meeting for all participants. Please direct requests for sign language interpreting services, closed captioning, or other accommodation needs to the Office of Subsistence Management at (800) 478-1456 / (907) 786-3888 or by e-mail at subsistence@fws.gov at least seven business days prior to the meeting.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.Missing out on the latest Federal subsistence issues? If you’d like to receive emails and notifications on the Federal Subsistence Management Program you may subscribe for regular updates by emailing fws-fsb-subsistence-request@lists.fws.gov.-###-

A public hearing is scheduled for 6:00-8:00 p.m., May 14, 2018, at the False Pass Recreation Center at 180 Unimak Drive in False Pass to receive testimony on a temporary special action request submitted to the Federal Subsistence Board (Board).

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Regional Advisory Council will hold a public meeting on May 3, 2018 via teleconference, to develop recommendations to the Federal Subsistence Board (Board) on Fisheries temporary special action requests FSA18-01 and FSA18-03. 

The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) met April 10-13, 2018 in Anchorage to consider proposed changes to the Federal subsistence hunting and trapping regulations. The Board also conducted Tribal and Alaska Native Corporation consultations on wildlife regulatory proposals. 

A public hearing is scheduled for 6:00–8:00 p.m., April 19, 2018, at the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center at 420 Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway in Bethel to receive testimony on a temporary special action request received by the Federal Subsistence Board (Board).

The Southcentral Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Council will hold a teleconference onApril 17, 2018, to develop a recommendation to the Federal Subsistence Board (Board) on Fisheries temporary special action request FSA18-02. Submitted jointly by the Ninilchik Traditional Council and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, FSA18-02 requests several modifications to Federal subsistence regulations to allow for implementation of the Kenai River community gillnet fishery for residents of Ninilchik during 2018, including establishing seasons, harvest limits and guidelines about fish retention and release.

The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) will meet April 10-13, 2018 at the William A. Egan Civic and Convention Center in Anchorage to consider proposed changes to Federal subsistence hunting and trapping regulations for the 2018-2020 regulatory years, and other subsistence related topics.

The Federal Subsistence Board is accepting proposals through April 23, 2018 to change Federal regulations for the subsistence harvest of fish and shellfish on Federal public lands for the 2019-2021 regulatory years (April 1, 2019 - March 31, 2021). During this timeframe, the Board will also accept proposals on customary and traditional use and nonrural determinations.