Federal Subsistence Board News

The Northwest Arctic Subsistence Regional Advisory Council will meet October 24-25, 2018 at the Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly Room in Kotzebue. The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. daily.

The Seward Peninsula Subsistence Regional Advisory Council will meet October 23-24, 2018 at the Native Village of Unalakleet Community Building in Unalakleet. The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. daily.

An electronic version of the July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2020 Federal Subsistence Management Regulations for the Harvest of Wildlife on Federal Public Lands in Alaska book is now available on the Federal Subsistence Management Program’s website:  https://www.doi.gov/subsistence/wildlife.  

On October 9, 2018, the Federal Subsistence Board (Board) published the final rule for the Federal Subsistence Management Regulations for the Taking of Wildlife on Federal public lands and waters in Alaska in the Federal Register (83 FR 50758). This final rule establishes regulations for seasons, harvest limits, and methods and means related to the taking of wildlife for subsistence uses in Alaska for 2018–19 and 2019–20 regulatory years. This rule also revises the general regulations on subsistence taking of fish and wildlife and customary and traditional use determinations for wildlife.  

Districts Affected: Yukon AreaThe 2018 inseason total run size of fall chum salmon (based on passage at the mainstem sonar near Pilot Station plus the harvest downstream of the sonar) is estimated to be 1,300,000 fish, which is above the historical median of 816,000 fish. Overall the timing of fall chum salmon in the lower river projects was a week later than average. The fifth pulse of fall chum salmon, which was the largest of the season, is expected to be near the U.S./Canada border around October 5. The smaller sixth pulse contained a majority of Tanana River bound stocks.

Districts Affected: Upper Yukon AreaThe fall chum salmon run into the upper Porcupine River appears to be poor. Through September 28, the estimated cumulative fall chum salmon passage at the mainstem Porcupine River sonar located near Old Crow is 11,800 fish which is well below the 2011 to 2017 average of 30,775 for that date. Through September 30, the estimated fall chum salmon passage at the Fishing Branch river weir is 4,371 fish, which is well below the historical cumulative average of 21,458 fish for that date. Based on late run timing projections, it is not anticipated that the lower end of the Fishing Branch weir treaty agreement interim management escapement goal (IMEG) with Canada of 22,000 to 49,000 fish will be achieved. As a result, the following subsistence salmon fishing management action will occur in the U.S. portion of the Porcupine River:

Districts Affected: Yukon AreaThe 2018 the inseason total run size of fall chum salmon (based on passage at the mainstem sonar near Pilot Station plus the harvest downstream of the sonar) is estimated to be 1,300,000 fish, which is above the historical median of 816,000 fish. Overall the timing of fall chum salmon in the lower river projects was a week later than average.

The following is a summary of the 2018 Yukon River Chinook and summer chum salmon fisheries. All data reported here are considered preliminary. For management purposes, the Yukon River is divided into several fishing districts and subdistricts (Figure 1).During the “summer season” (early May through July 15 in District 1) management and research staff are based in the Emmonak office and the focus is on assessing and managing the summer chum and Chinook salmon runs. After July 15, in Emmonak, Chinook salmon are nearly done entering the river and fall chum start to replace summer chum as the dominant species. On July 16, management transitions to the “fall season” and assessment and management become focused on fall chum and coho salmon entering the mouth of the Yukon River. However, summer season management continues beyond this date in upper river districts as the Chinook and summer chum salmon migration progresses upstream.

SITKA, Alaska – The Sitka District Ranger, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, is closing the Upper Blue Lake Zone to the harvest of mountain goats. The closure will be effective Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. and will remain in effect through the rest of the 2018 season which ends December 31. 

The Southeast Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Council will meet October 16-18, 2018 at the Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi (Community House), 200 Katlian Street, in Sitka. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. daily.