A public hearing is coming up on a proposal to restrict salmon fishing in the Kanektok River near Quinhagak to federally qualified subsistence users. The Federal Subsistence Board has announced that it will hold public hearings on Feb. 15 and Feb. 21.
The special action request came from The Native Village of Kwinhagak. It wants the board to close Federal public waters of the Kanektok River drainage to the harvest of chinook and chum salmon except by federally qualified subsistence users from June 1 through June 30, 2023 and June 1 through June 30, 2024.
The village says that chum salmon stocks in Western Alaska are in decline with the poorest returns on record, and that escapement goals throughout the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim region not being met. The village says that precautionary management actions are necessary due to the lack of available salmon assessment data for the Kanektok River. Most of the river is located in the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge.
The public hearings are scheduled for two days: Feb. 15, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Feb. 21, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. To participate via teleconference, call 888-455-7765. When prompted, enter passcode: 5922158.
Further information on the upcoming board meeting will be provided through news releases, radio and newspaper ads, the program webpage (https://www.doi.gov/subsistence/board), and social media.
For more information on fisheries special actions and a link to the fact sheet on FSA23-01, go to: https://www.doi.gov/subsistence/fisheries-special-actions.
