Fish managers on the Kuskokwim are indicating there could be a subsistence salmon fishing opener as early this Sunday, but they’re waiting to make an official announcement.
The comment was made by US Fish and Wildlife Refuge Manager Ray Born during a KYUK call in show.
During the show managers said that there will be gear restrictions for the opening. It has not been confirmed, but they hinted at 6 inch mesh or smaller for the whole river, 25 fathoms or shorter above the Johnson River, and 50 fathoms or shorter below the Johnson. Nothing is confirmed yet until managers send press releases.
The show featured Born, along with Alaska Department of Fish and Game Area Biologist Aaron Tiernan, Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Board member Greg Roczicka, and Kuskokwim River Salmon Management Working Group chair Lamont Albertson joined the show to answer callers questions and concerns.
Callers wanted to know when fishing will be allowed on the Kuskokwim and what gear may be allowed. Managers said they expect to meet on Friday and will send out a news release shortly afterwards. Both managers say it will be a short opener, somewhere in the range of 6 hours. Albertson added that managers will be counting catches during and after the opener; he asked that fisherman in villages help each other keep track of the number of fish harvested.
Callers also wanted to know if anything has been done about trawl fleets in the Bering Sea that catch incidental kings. Roczicka stated there have been strict measures already taken in previous conservation years to cap king salmon bycatch and quota’s by the Bering Sea Trawl fishery.
The US Fish and Wildlife manages the river from Aniak to the mouth of the Kuskokwim, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game manages the portion of the river from Aniak to the Kuskokwim Headwaters.
Managers said this is another year of king salmon conservation after years of low king salmon runs. Manager also say though there has been an improvement in king salmon escapement, they are still not out of the woods yet.
To listen to the show click here.