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Not Enough Yukon Kings Swim To Canada

Katie Basile

The number of king salmon on the Yukon River this summer has gone from bad to worse. 

The latest projection from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is that there are not enough kings on the river to meet the minimum escapement goal for fish bound for Canada. To make sure that all the remaining kings in the upper Yukon make it across the border, managers are closing down all subsistence fishing, and eliminating the use of any gillnets during the closures. Biologist say that the measure is needed to eliminate any incidental catch of kings in District 5 of the Yukon River.