Federal Subsistence Board News

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon AreaFall Season Emergency Order # 32District 1 Commercial Fishing:There is a large pulse of fall chum salmon in District 1. Commercial fishing will be open for one period in District 1, including the Set Net Only Area, from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 15. This will be a 3-hour commercial fishing period with gillnets restricted to six-inch or smaller mesh. Kwik’pak will be operating the Mountain Village buying station for this period in District 1. Fishermen will need to standby on VHF for announcements regarding extensions during this period.

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon AreaFall Season Emergency Order # 31                                                                    District 2 Commercial Fishing:There is a large pulse of fall chum salmon in District 2. Commercial fishing will be open for one period in District 2, from 3:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 15. This will be a 1-hour commercial fishing period with gillnets restricted to 6-inch or smaller mesh size. 

Districts Affected: Yukon Area​Fall Season AssessmentThe 2017 fall chum salmon inseason projection is for a run size greater than 1.1 million fish.  This level of abundance is sufficient to provide for escapement, subsistence harvest, with a surplus available for commercial and personal use purposes. 

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon AreaFall Season Emergency Order # 30                                                                  District 2 Commercial Fishing:There is a large pulse of fall chum salmon in the lower portion of District 2. Commercial fishing will be open for one period in District 2, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Sunday, August 13. This will be a 2-hour commercial fishing period with gillnets restricted to 6-inch or smaller mesh size. There will only be one buying station located at St. Mary’s buying for this period. Commercial fishermen must contact their buyer no later than 1 hour before they fish. The department will consider extending the time to this fishing period based on the number of fishermen participating. Fishermen will need to standby for on VHF for announcements regarding extensions during this period.

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon AreaFall Season Emergency Order # 29​District 1 Commercial Fishing:Commercial fishing will be open for one period in District 1, including the Set Net Only Area, from 6:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Saturday, August 12. This will be a 4-hour commercial fishing period with gillnets restricted to six-inch or smaller mesh.

Districts Affected: Lower Yukon AreaFall Season Emergency Order # 28                                                               District 1 Commercial Fishing:Commercial fishing will be open for one period in the Set Net Only Area of District Y-1 from 1:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Friday, August 11. This will be a 9-hour commercial fishing period for the Set Net Only Area with gillnets restricted to six-inch or smaller mesh.

SITKA, Alaska - The Sitka District Ranger, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, is closing the Lake Diana zone to the harvest of mountain goats. The closure will be effective at 11:59 p.m., Thursday August 17, 2017 and will remain in effect through the remainder of the 2017 season which ends December 31.

Districts Affected: Upper Yukon AreaFall Season Emergency Order # 27The 2017 fall chum salmon preseason projection is for a run size greater than 1.1 million fish. The estimated fall chum salmon passage at the mainstem sonar near Pilot Station through August 8 is 482,500 fish, which is well above the historical median of 260,000 fish for that date. Based on inseason run assessment from the Lower Yukon River projects, the fall run size is above average at the historical midpoint of the run, therefore relaxing Subdistricts 5-A, 5-B, & 5-C subsistence fishing to 7 days per week is warranted.

Districts Affected: Upper Yukon AreaFall Season Emergency Order # 26The 2017 fall chum salmon preseason projection is for a run size greater than 1.1 million fish. The estimated fall chum salmon passage at the mainstem sonar near Pilot Station through August 8 is 482,500 fish, which is well above the historical median of 260,000 fish for that date. Based on inseason run assessment from the Lower Yukon River projects, the fall run size is above average at the historical midpoint of the run, therefore relaxing District 4 subsistence fishing to 7 days per week is warranted.

Districts Affected: Upper Yukon AreaFall Season Emergency Order # 25District 6 Commercial Schedule:Commercial salmon fishing in District 6 of the Tanana River is currently open for two 42-hour periods from 6:00 p.m. Fridays until 12:00 noon Sundays, and from 6:00 p.m. Mondays until 12:00 noon Wednesdays. Commercial fishermen may use 7.5-inch or smaller mesh size set gillnets or fish wheels.