Monday March 13, 2023
KDLG —
The Board of Fisheries and members of the public discussed the state’s action plan to protect Nushagak kings on the second day of the statewide meeting Saturday. Many people who testified discussed how many sockeye should go unharvested in order to conserve the struggling king runs.
One recommendation dominated the discussion. It would greatly increase sockeye escapement goals in years when those runs are expected to be high. The aim is to allow more kings to swim through the district to spawning grounds. The Bristol Bay Science and Research Institute’s king salmon committee developed the recommendation, which would limit fishing pressure by reducing commercial fishing time in June, depending on how many sockeye return. The latest the fishery would open would be June 28.
The plan would work by implementing sliding sockeye escapement goals for the Nushagak and Wood rivers based on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s projected run.