Tag Archives: King salmon
Bristol Bay reds late again; late run Kenai kings start strong
It’s the second late run in a row for the state’s most valuable salmon fishery, and the late run of king salmon in the state’s most popular river are showing up early in strong numbers. Bristol Bay, the world’s largest wild sockeye salmon producing region, experienced a massive late run of sockeye salmon last year, contributing with other market forces to drop the ex-vessel price of salmon to 50 cents per pound, or about half the historic average. This year, most signs point to a similarly late run. Late doesn’t necessarily mean below forecast. Last year, the historical midpoint of July 4 came and went with only 8.87 million fish harvested, about 35 percent less than the five-year average. All signs pointed to a Bristol Bay harvest of less than 20 million fish. By the end of the season, a late burst of sockeye produced one of the largest runs on record. Read the rest here 16:19
Yukon River king salmon pour over the Canada border
A surge of Yukon River king salmon crossed the Canada border this week, which fulfilled a treaty obligation to deliver Chinook to their Canadian spawning grounds. About 44,400 kings had been counted by Thursday at the Eagle sonar project, which is the final count before the fish enter Canada waters. An escapement goal of 42,500 king salmon is called for in the Pacific Salmon Treaty between the U.S. and Canada. Read the rest here 23:12
Southeast trollers get bad news from ADF&G
There will be no second summer king salmon opening for Southeast Alaska trollers.In an update released Friday, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced that preliminary fish tickets indicate about 150,000 kings were taken by trollers during eight days of fishing at the start of the month. That catch figure means the fleet’s summer quota has been met and there will be no second opening.,, the next opportunity for trollers to take king salmon won’t come until Oct. 11, when the winter troll fishery opens. Read the rest here 09:26
Despite promising numbers, king salmon managers still uncertain about run strength
A strong, early pulse of king salmon on southern and central Kenai Peninsula streams has runs off to a good start. But, managers say it is still too early to tell if the Cook Inlet’s ailing king salmon runs will rally from the last few years of poor returns. Thirteen days after the Alaska Department of Fish and Game began counting early run king salmon on the Kenai River, there are hundreds more fish estimated to have passed the sonar by the end of May than the last two years combined. On the Anchor River, there were more kings counted in the river by May 30 than any year since 2007. Read the rest here 09:30
Sacramento River King Salmon hold on, but drought, heat may take toll next year
The California drought and a strange warming trend in the ocean have not yet killed off the Sacramento River’s king salmon, which are swimming off the coast unaware of all the doomsaying. That could all change next year, fisheries experts warn, when the full effect of the four-year dry spell hits the scaly creatures where they live. There are 652,000 fall run chinook salmon that were born in the Sacramento swimming in the sea right now, about 17,000 more fish than there were at this time last year, according to estimates by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Read the rest here 09:23
Fish and Game hopes research initiative will help to better manage king salmon
KENAI – The state of Alaska is spending millions of dollars to try and solve the mystery of what’s happening to the king salmon population. For the past decade, the fish have been returning to Alaskan rivers and streams in ever dwindling numbers. Video, Read the rest here 15:13
Mendocino Coast fishermen smiling over 2014 salmon returns
Over the past decade the numbers of fall run Sacramento River Chinook salmon predicted to return by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC) have been overestimated, sometimes wildly so. Read more here 14:58
Southeast commercial troll fleet gets second crack at king salmon
Southeast Alaska’s commercial troll fishing fleet will have another crack at king salmon in August even with a big haul from the first Chinook opening in July. Even with the big first opening, the fleet will have a short, second opening sometime in mid-August.The season typically shuts down for a few days in early August to allow coho salmon to return to streams on the inside waters. Read more here 10:27
King salmon allocations jump in southeast Alaska
JUNEAU, Alaska — King salmon fishermen in southeast Alaska have reason for optimism this year with news that estimates of the fish’s population have more than doubled from 2013 and allocations for sport and commercial harvest will significantly increase. Read more here 18:25
Southeast Alaska King Salmon All Gear Harvest Quota Jumps to 439,400 fish
The allowable harvest of Chinook salmon covered under provisions of the Pacific Salmon Treaty will be 439,400 fish this year, up from 176,000 fish in 2013 and 266,800 fish in 2012. The quota was announced April 1 by state of Alaska fisheries biologists at Sitka. Read more here 18:25 Also, NIOSH Video Highlights the Use of Personal Flotation Devices in Cold Water Survival in Alaska, Today’s Catch – Wild on the Columbia, and more.
California Salmon forecasts favorable, despite drought uncertainty
Predictions for a robust king salmon haul buoyed California fishermen assembled Wednesday for a preseason meeting with state and federal regulators, even if forecasts fell short of last year’s projection. Read more here pressdemocrat.com 09:01
Rosa Meehan: Fisheries board has prime opportunity for smarter management
Salmon, and fishing for salmon, is an iconic aspect of life in much of Alaska — so are conflicts about who is entitled to fish for how much and when (allocation issues). Read more@adn 12:37
A king without a crown: Chinook vulnerable to ocean forces
Editor’s note: This is the ninth in the Morris Communications series – “The case for conserving the Kenai king salmon.”Alaska’s long-lived monarch — the king salmon — has fallen from its throne. The species, which once thrived as a fabled ruler in state waters, was sought-after by fisherman from all over the world. Their massive presence in rivers like the Kenai, the Yukon and the Taku, to name only a few, brought sport and commercial fisherman to banks and river mouths for a chance to harvest this mighty resource. Read more@alaskastar 08:48
Fishermen focus on how ADFG sets, achieves escapement goals
Editor’s note: This is the eighth in the Morris Communications series, “The case for conserving the Kenai king salmon.” Each spring, as the early-run king salmon start returning to the Kenai River, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game begins a four-month effort to manage fishing effort in a way that ensures enough salmon swim past fishermen of all types to meet escapement goals. “’Escapement’ is actually what escapes fisheries and lives to spawn,” said ADFG biologist Tim McKinley, who helped draft the current king salmon escapement goals during the fall and winter of 2012 and 2013. more@alaskastar 12:15
Alaska promises to do better on Yukon River salmon
International salmon talks with the Yukon River Panel have wrapped up in Whitehorse. In the last seven years, Alaska has delivered its salmon quotas on the Yukon River, twice. This year, the Alaskans are promising to do better. Andrew Bassich is the U.S. delegate from Eagle, Alaska. more@cbcnews 20:31
Call the king salmon taken by Cook Inlet setnetters what it is: bycatch
What is bycatch? Here is the generally accepted definition of the term that first began popping up in common usage in the late 1990s: more@alaskadispatch 13:38
Widespread decline of kings points to natural forces – Saving the Kings – Salmon species – other than kings – thriving around Alaska
“We’re not sure what is causing the downturn, and in many cases, we do not have the basic information needed to understand the causes,” said ADFG’s Bob Clark, summarizing some of the symposium’s findings. more@peninsulaclarion 22:18
Saving the kings – During the 2013 fishing season, when both sport and commercial fishing were restricted to ensure that enough king salmon made it up the river to spawn, the importance of healthy king salmon runs should’ve become clear to all concerned. more here 22:25
Salmon species – other than kings – thriving around Alaska This year — which saw a state record of some 270 million salmon harvested — Mathisen said he, “was impressed and proud by the way the salmon return came in. “The volume was incredible. The numbers we’re seeing on the good cycles are good enough to sustain the salmon fishermen.” more here
Kuskokwim Chinook salmon Fail to Reach Spawning Grounds
Kuskokwim Chinook salmon – or Kings as they are known locally – did not make it to the spawning grounds this year as managers had expected. Counting projects are showing the lowest escapements in history for nearly all of the river’s tributaries. Managers and residents are trying to make a plan for next year. listen@kyuk 07:57
Kenai kings barely meet goal; record set for salmon catch
The seem to have met their escapement goal after all, but it was still the lowest return on record. more@alaskajournal of commerce 13:25
The 2013 King Salmon Run To the Nushagak River is a Success Story
It’s been another year of low king salmon numbers to many of the major river systems in Alaska. However, one of the biggest king runs in the state is doing quite well. KDLG’s Mike Mason has the story. listen@kdlg
For Alaska’s prized king salmon, the good-old days morph into not-so-hot present
CHITINA — A cheer went up along the Copper River Monday as a dipnetter struggling in the churning, brown waist-deep water finally dragged ashore what is becoming an increasingly precious catch — a blush-colored king salmon of more than 30 pounds. It was one of two kings seen caught by a couple dozen fishermen hard at work, swinging or drifting long-handled nets in the murky glacial water on a dusty day beneath a 90-degree sun. It would also be among the last kings landed in the fishery this year. continued@alaskadispatch
With king salmon returns slowing to a trickle, Alaska managers roll out closures
Abysmal king salmon returns to the Kenai River already have fisheries managers curtailing fishing in one of Alaska’s most popular fisheries — and wondering what’s next. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game ordered closures on the Kenai and Kasilof rivers for personal-use and sport fishermen Tuesday. “When you look at numbers going to the Kenai, it’s alarming,” area commercial fisheries biologist Pat Shields said Tuesday. “It’s forced our hands. ”continued@alaskadispatch
Closure fresh in memory, setnetters innovate for season
KENAI — Gary Hollier has a king salmon problem.The commercial setnetter has had it for a few years and he’s far from the only one. Most of the east side setnet fishery in the Cook Inlet was largely shut out of their fishing season last year after seeing their fishing time drastically reduced in 2011 in the name of king salmon conservation.With last season’s federally-declared economic disaster hanging over his head, and the threat of being largely shut out of another season in 2013 looming, the 42-year veteran of commercial setnetting decided to make some drastic changes of his own. continued
Cutting back – Closure fresh in memory, setnetters innovate for king conservation
Peninsula Clarion – Gary Hollier has a king salmon problem. The commercial setnetter has had it for a few years and he’s far from the only one. Most of the east side setnet fishery in the Cook Inlet was largely shut out of their fishing season last year after seeing their fishing time drastically reduced in 2011 in the name of king salmon conservation. With last season’s federally-declared economic disaster hanging over his head, and the threat of being largely shut out of another season in 2013 looming, the 42-year veteran of commercial setnetting decided to make some drastic changes of his own. continued
Seattle Based Organization SeaShare Helps Feed Alaska’s Hungry – video
For years, poor king salmon returns have forced the closures of subsistence, commercial and 
Board of Fisheries adopts change to Kenai king escapement
The Board of Fisheries changed the escapement goal for late-run king salmon on the Kenai River March 21. The new escapement goal, which passed unanimously, is 15,000 to 30,000. The change is based on a change in sonar counters 
from split-beam to DIDSON. The board took up the Cook Inlet issue as part of its statewide finish meeting, held in Anchorage March 19 to 23. continue reading
Attorney: Alaska Native fishermen should get first go at kings
An attorney for Alaska Natives cited for illegal fishing is renewing his religious protection defense, saying the state could conserve king salmon runs on the Kuskokwim River while granting Yup’ik Eskimos a subsistence fishing priority to accommodate their long-held spiritual views. Read more here
Cook Inlet salmon management plan implications discussed
“I was really bothered by the last two years when people in the community suffered — both the sport fish and the commercial end — then after the fact the department came out with memorandums … upping the final escapement numbers which would have allowed enough harvest for people to have been able to participate fully.” Read more
Trials set to begin for western Alaska subsistence fishermen – Alaska Native subsistence fishermen
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Some call it a protest by Alaska Native subsistence fishermen, but that’s not the way it looks to Harry David and a couple dozen others charged with illegally fishing for king salmon in waters severely restricted by the state because of dismal runs of the prized fish. “We’ve been taught since we were growing up to gather food from the land for winter,” said David, a Yup’ik Eskimo from the western Alaska village of Tuntutuliak. David, 48, is heading for trial in Bethel northeast of his village and is contesting non-criminal charge of using the wrong-size net in June at the Kuskokwim River. http://www.adn.com/2012/10/28/2674679/trials-set-to-begin-for-alaska.html
Scientists offer tips for Alaska king salmon study – Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner – Scientists offer tips for Alaska king salmon study
