Yukon Area Selective Gear Summer Chum Subsistence Fishing Schedule for Coastal District and District 1-3

Emergency Special Action No: 2-KS-11-24     Issued at: Fairbanks, Alaska, June 21, 2024
 

Effective Date: Saturday, June 22, 2024, 2:00 p.m. for Coastal District and Districts 1 and 2
                            Wednesday, June 26, 2024, 2:00 p.m. for District 3
                            Friday, June 28, 2024, 2:00 p.m. for the Innoko River
 

Expiration Date: Monday, August 20, 2024, at 11:59 pm unless superseded by subsequent special action.

EXPLANATION:
This Emergency Special Action opens the Federal public waters of the Coastal District and districts 1, 2 and 3 to the subsistence harvest and retention of summer chum salmon with selective gear only (which includes dip nets, beach seines, manned fish wheels, and hook and line). In Federal public waters, these summer chum salmon fishing opportunities are limited to federally qualified subsistence users only. All permanent rural residents of the Yukon Area and Yukon River drainage (except residents of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, which is a Nonrural Area) are federally qualified subsistence users of salmon.
 

Chinook salmon fishing remains closed (as announced in 2-KS-01-24 and 2-KS-02-24) and gillnets have been closed for a two week period in these areas (as announced in 2-KS-05-24 and 2-KS-07-24). All Chinook salmon must be released alive from dip nets, beach seines, and manned fish wheels. Fishers should target summer chum, and if they are catching Chinook salmon, should move to places where they will encounter more summer chum. When Chinook salmon are released from dip nets, all effort should be made to quickly release the Chinook without removing the net from the water or landing the Chinook in the boat. Fishers may retain any non-salmon or chum, sockeye, and pink salmon.

Fishers are reminded to practice respectful and safe fish handling techniques and ensure any Chinook salmon caught in selective or nonsalmon gear types are released alive so they may continue upriver to their spawning grounds. If it appears that Chinook salmon are being targeted while fishing for summer chum with dip nets, fishing will be further restricted.

REGULATION:
Pursuant to 02-KS-01-24 and 02-KS-02-24, in Federal public waters of the following areas, subsistence salmon fishing is currently closed for Chinook salmon fishing. Pursuant to 2-KS-05-24 and 2-KS-07-24, all gillnets need to be removed from the water for a two-week period.
50 CFR 100.27(e)(3) (ii) is further amended to read:
(C) Coastal District and District 1, which includes the Black River and the communities of Chevak, Hooper Bay, Scammon Bay, Emmonak, Nunam Iqua, Alakanuk, and Kotlik:
(1) Effective 2 p.m. Saturday June 22, fishing with selective gear types (dip nets, beach seines, manned fish wheels, and hook and line gear) will open for summer chum salmon 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Chinook salmon must be released alive.
 

As announced previously, all gillnets, including 4-inch or smaller mesh, must be removed from the water until 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 3.
 

(D) District 2, which includes Mountain Village, Pitka’s Point, St. Mary’s, Pilot Station, and Marshall:
(1) Effective 2 p.m. Saturday June 22, fishing with selective gear types (dip nets, beach seines, manned fish wheels, and hook and line gear) will open for summer chum salmon 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Chinook salmon must be released alive.
 

As announced previously, all gillnets, including 4-inch or smaller mesh, must be removed from the water until 8 p.m. Friday, July 5.
 

(E) District 3, which includes Russian Mission, and Holy Cross:
(1) Effective 2 p.m. Wednesday June 26, fishing with selective gear types (dip nets, beach seines, manned fish wheels, and hook and line gear) will open for summer chum salmon 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Chinook salmon must be released alive.
 

As announced previously, all gillnets, including 4-inch or smaller mesh, must be removed from the water from 8 p.m. Monday, June 24 until 8 p.m. Monday, July 8.
 

(F) Innoko River, which includes Shageluk:
(1) Effective 2 p.m. Friday June 28, fishing with selective gear types (dip nets, beach seines, manned fish wheels, and hook and line gear) will open for summer chum salmon 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Chinook salmon must be released alive.
 

As announced previously, all gillnets, including 4-inch or smaller mesh, must be removed from the water from 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 26 until 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 10.
 

In Federal public waters, these summer chum salmon fishing opportunities are limited to federally qualified subsistence users only. Please see below maps for Federal public waters.

Those fishing outside of Federal public waters do not need to be federally qualified subsistence users.
 

JUSTIFICATION:
The drainage-wide Chinook salmon outlook is for a run size of less than 70,000 fish, and the Canadian-origin Chinook salmon outlook for passage at the border is less than 15,000 fish. There is unlikely to be any escapement goals met for Chinook salmon and closures will likely be required for the duration of their migration. As of June 20, over 60,000 summer chum salmon have passed Pilot Station. The current inseason run size projection is 906,000 summer chum salmon with an 80% confidence interval between 521,000 to 1,400,000 fish. The run is likely to exceed the lower end of the drainage-wide escapement goal (500,000–1.2 million summer chum) and provide for a surplus for subsistence harvest. Pursuant to Section 816 of ANILCA, this Emergency Special Action (2-KS-11-24) opens selective fishing for summer chum salmon in the Federal public waters of the Yukon River coastal area and lower Yukon River.
 

CONSULTATION AND OUTREACH:
The Yukon River salmon outlooks and management strategies were discussed at the Eastern Interior, Western Interior, and Yukon Kuskokwim Delta Regional Advisory Council meetings; Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association (YRDFA) annual Preseason Fisheries Meeting; Yukon River Panel meeting; and Yukon River Intertribal Fish commission meeting. The Federal manager held formal preseason management strategy Government-to-Government Tribal Consultation meetings with Yukon River drainage Tribal Governments on April 1 and 2. Tribal Consultations will continue when possible and when requested by Tribal Governments. The Federal fishery outlook and management strategy was sent to all Yukon Tribal and City governments on May 10. Approximately 3,500 copies of the ADF&G and USFWS Preseason Outlook flier were mailed to Yukon River fishing households in May.
 

This action was taken following coordination with the ADF&G fishery managers. The fishing schedules announced here match those issued concurrently by the ADF&G in state waters (Summer Fishery Advisory Announcement #15). The Federal Subsistence Regional Advisory Council Chairs for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Eastern Interior, Western Interior, and Seward Peninsula Regional Advisory Councils were notified as was the Chair and vice-chair of the Yukon River Intertribal Fish Commission. Review was provided by the Office of Subsistence Management.
 

Federal Subsistence Board by delegation to:
Holly Carroll
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Yukon River Inseason Fisheries Manager
Northern Alaska Fish and Wildlife Field Office
 

For additional information concerning Yukon River Federal Special Actions contact Yukon River Federal Manager Holly Carroll at (907) 351-3029.
 

For information concerning State management actions, contact Yukon River Summer Season Manager, Deena Jallen, and Fall Season Manager, Christy Gleason, in Fairbanks at (907) 459-7274 or in Emmonak at (907) 949-1320.

If you’d like to receive emails and notifications on the Federal Subsistence Management Program you may subscribe for regular updates by emailing fws-fsb-subsistence-request@lists.fws.gov. Fishery special actions can be found online here: https://www.doi.gov/subsistence/fisheries-special-actions
 

Information about the Federal Subsistence Management Program may be found on the web at www.doi.gov/subsistence or by visiting www.facebook.com/subsistencealaska.
 

See Special Action for Detailed Maps of Federal Public Waters in the Yukon River Drainage:
Communities and streams adjacent to the boundary of Federal lands are part of Federal waters, even on the opposite side of the river. For those fishing outside of Federal public waters, they do not need to be federally qualified subsistence users.