The Alaska Board of Fisheries met in Anchorage in January and March to consider proposals on the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim area.
The following is a brief summary of the regulatory changes that were adopted and will be effective for the 2023 fishing season in the Yukon Management Area.
YUKON AREA SUBSISTENCE PROPOSALS
- Proposal 79 expanded the area where hook and line gear is legal year-round for salmon and non-salmon subsistence fishing above the Nulato River and in the Koyukuk River drainage. Proposal 84 further expanded the area for this gear in Districts 4 and 5.
- Proposal 84 was adopted to make the following changes to subsistence fishing:
- Remove the minimum distance required between subsistence gears other than set gillnets and fish wheels.
- Formally add eels sticks as a gear type for lamprey fishing, a traditional gear of the Yukon Area.
- Set a 7.5-inch maximum mesh size for gillnet fishing for salmon and non salmon.
- Set a 6-inch maximum mesh size for gillnet fishing during the fall chum and coho salmon season.
- Increase the maximum mesh size to 4-inch for gillnet fishing in portions of Beaver and Birch creeks.
Expand the area where hook and line gear is legal year-round for salmon and non salmon to include all Yukon River districts, excluding some areas along the road system in the middle and upper Yukon Area and closed waters. A sport fishing license is no longer required for Alaskan residents in areas where hook and line is legal for subsistence fishing. However, a subsistence permit is still required in Yukon Area permit areas. Managers may still restrict or close salmon fishing with hook and line during times of conservation.
- During times of salmon conservation, by emergency order, managers can specify the following:
- Any salmon species may be specified for live-release from fishing gear types. Previously only chum and king salmon could be required for live-release.
- Gillnets may be restricted by length, distance from shore (100 feet from ordinary high-water mark), and may be required to be operated as a set net.
- Additional gillnet mesh size options include 4.75-inch or smaller (to target pink salmon) and exactly 7.5 inch (to target kings and to conserve chum salmon).
YUKON AREA PERSONAL USE PROPOSALS
Proposal 83 set a 6-inch maximum mesh size in the Yukon Area personal-use salmon fishery after August 15, when fall season begins in that area.
Proposal 85 expanded the gear types and operation during times of salmon conservation for the Yukon Area personal use salmon fishery, by emergency order. Any salmon species may be specified for live-release from dip nets and manned fish wheels. Gillnets may be required to be operated as set gillnets within 100 feet from the ordinary high-water mark. For king salmon conservation, gillnets may be restricted to 4-inch or smaller mesh with a specified length and depth.
YUKON AREA COMMERCIAL PROPOSALS
Proposal 88 reduced the District 5 maximum mesh size to 6 inches or less for commercial fishing to align with the other Yukon Area districts. During times of salmon conservation, by emergency order, any salmon species may be specified for live-release from manned fish wheels, dip nets, and beach seines.
STATEWIDE BOARD OF FISHERIES PROPOSALS RELEVANT TO YUKON AREA
Proposal 82 was adopted for submerged gillnets and marking requirements. When fishing under the ice, submerged gillnets remain legal for subsistence, personal use, and commercial fishing.
- In the Coastal District and Districts 1 and 2, submerged gillnets are illegal during ice-free months for subsistence fishing.
- In Districts 1 and 2, submerged gillnets are illegal during ice-free months for commercial fishing.
- In Districts 3-6, submerged gillnets may be used for subsistence, personal use, and commercial fisheries during ice-free months, however nets must have a visible keg, buoy, or cluster of floats attached to both ends of the net, plus a third in the middle if the net is over 60 feet in length.
Proposal 87 formally added eel sticks, a traditional gear type, to the allowable subsistence and commercial gear types.
Proposal 165 was adopted to prohibit compensation for guide services in Alaska subsistence fisheries. Compensation for renting gear or transportation to and from sites remains legal.