Federal Subsistence Board approves changes to subsistence fishing regulations

The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) met January 10-12, 2017 in Anchorage to consider 13 proposed changes to the Federal subsistence fisheries regulations, a request for reconsideration of a past proposal, and one wildlife special action. The Board also conducted Tribal and Alaska Native Corporation consultations. 

01/13/2017
Last edited 01/13/2017
Contact Information

Caron McKee

(907) 786-3880 

caron_mckee@fws.gov

Changes to the Subsistence Fishing Regulations

The Board adopted seven proposals to change the Federal subsistence fisheries regulations. 

Among the changes approved by the Board are:

  • Allow salmon harvest in Subdistrict 5D during closures, once the mid-range of the Canadian interim management escapement goal and the total allowable catch goal are projected to be achieved in the Yukon River at the Eagle sonar site.
  • Allow the use of drift gillnets for the take of Chum Salmon in the lower portion of the Yukon River (Subdistrict 4A).
  • Residents of Dry Creek are added to the customary and traditional use determination for salmon in the Glennallen subdistrict.
  • A clarification of net restrictions within the communities of Wrangell, Petersburg and Sitka.
  • Allow increased gillnet obstruction in the portion of Racetrack Slough on the Koyukuk River and in sloughs of the Huslia River drainage.
  • Revise the fishery season dates for the Kasilof River experimental community gillnet fishery.
  • Revise regulations for the Kenai Subsistence Community Gillnet.

The Federal subsistence fisheries regulations, effective April 1, 2017 through March 31, 2019, will be available statewide by mid-March. The regulations will be posted on the Federal Subsistence Management Program website, www.doi.gov/subsistence.

The Board supported a motion to further analyze claims submitted in the requests for reconsideration of the Board adoption of FP15-10 regarding the Kenai River Community Gillnet. Full analysis of these claims will be presented to the Board at an upcoming public meeting.

The Board rejected Wildlife Special Action WSA16-03, which requested Federal public lands in Unit 23 be reopened to caribou hunting by non-Federally qualified subsistence users for the 2016/17 regulatory year. The Board, however, committed to initiating discussions about user conflicts via an inter-agency working group.

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.

View news release /sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/fsb_meeting_results.pdf

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