Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge

The move to close coho fishing comes just days after the Alaska Department of Fish and Game issued its own coho closure, citing drastically reduced numbers at the Kuskokwim River sonar.

The Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge announced a 30-day closure for all migratory bird species. The closure will be in effect from June 6 through July 6 and applies to the entire region. The only exception is scoters, which have their own closure from June 11 through July 11.

The management strategy aimed at protecting vulnerable chum and chinook stocks on the river and its tributaries is nearly identical to the previous two years. The key difference this time around is that federal managers do not plan to restrict the harvest of coho.

Changes to federal subsistence management are still possible through a newly started regulation review process.