Yukon River Fall Season Subsistence Fishing Schedule for District 4

Emergency Special Action No: 2-FC-02-24 

Effective Date: Saturday, August 3, 2024, 12:01 a.m. for Subdistrict 4-A Lower
Wednesday, August 7, 2024, 12:01 a.m. for Subdistrict 4-A Upper and Koyukuk River
Friday, August 9, 2024, 12:01 a.m. for Subdistrict 4-B and 4-C
 

Expiration Date: September 28, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. unless superseded by subsequent special action.
 

EXPLANATION:
This Emergency Special Action transitions the Yukon River area to the fall season and continues the selective gear fishing (dip nets, beach seines, and manned fish wheels) for summer chum salmon in District 4 and the Koyukuk drainage until fall chum salmon are likely to enter the river and closures are necessary. Chum salmon closures are being announced for each district based on the typical arrival time of fall chum salmon. In Federal public waters, chum and coho 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.
 

REGULATION:
Pursuant to 2-KS-03-24 and 2-KS-04-24, subsistence salmon fishing is closed for Chinook salmon. Gillnets larger than 4-inch are not allowed. Gillnets of 4-inch or smaller mesh may be used to target nonsalmon and are restricted to 60-feet or less in length and must be operated as a set net near shore. Pursuant to 2-KS-12-24, subsistence fishing for summer chum salmon with selective gear only is allowed 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
 

50 CFR 100.27(e)(3)(ii) is further amended to read:
In Federal public waters of the following areas, chum salmon subsistence fishing will close.
(G) Subdistrict 4-A Lower (from ¾ of a mile downstream from Old Paradise Village upstream to Stink Creek, including Grayling and Anvik):
(2) 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, August 3, chum salmon fishing is closed. Chum salmon may not be retained from selective fishing gear.
(H) Subdistrict 4-A Upper (from Stink Creek upstream to the tip of Cone Point, including Kaltag, Nulato, and Koyukuk):
(2) 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, August 7, chum salmon fishing is closed. Chum salmon may not be retained from selective fishing gear.
(I) Koyukuk River (including Huslia, Hughes, Allakaket, Alatna, Bettles, Wiseman, and Coldfoot):
(2) 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, August 7, chum salmon fishing is closed. Chum salmon may not be retained from selective fishing gear.
(J) Subdistrict 4-B and 4-C (including Galena and Ruby):
(2) 12:01 a.m. on Friday, August 9, chum salmon fishing is closed. Chum salmon may not be retained from selective fishing gear.
 

As a reminder dip nets, beach seines, manned fish wheels, and hook and line gear may be used to harvest nonsalmon and coho, pink, and sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon must be released alive. Once these closures are in place, all Chum salmon must also be released alive immediately.
 

In Federal public waters, chum and coho 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 Chinook run is nearly complete in the lower river and no escapement goals will be met for Chinook salmon, therefore retention of this species is not allowed. Summer chum drainage-wide abundance has met the lower end of the escapement goal range of 500,000 to 1,200,000 fish. There is sufficient surplus of summer chum for subsistence harvest, however selective gear is required so that all Chinook salmon can be released. Fall chum salmon are not expected to comprise a large portion of the chum salmon entering the river until late July. The fall chum salmon preseason projection, based on the relationship between summer chum salmon and fall chum salmon run sizes, is for a run size of 369,000 fish. While the run projection is within the drainagewide escapement goal of 300,000–600,000 fall chum salmon, there is uncertainty in the current projection due to lower than expected abundance of age-4 summer chum salmon in this year's run, indicating lower production from the parent year. In recent years, the poorer than average Canadian component of the fall chum salmon run has meant that the Border objectives have not been met, even when the drainagewide escapement goal is anticipated to be met. Therefore, closures to the harvest of fall chum salmon are warranted.
 

Pursuant to Section 816 of ANILCA, this Emergency Special Action (2-FC-02-24) continues the selective fishing openings for summer chum salmon in the Federal public waters of District 4 and the Koyukuk River and announces closures to chum salmon harvest when fall chum are expected to arrive in each area.
 

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 (Fall Fishery Advisory Announcement #2). 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 C Carroll
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.