‘No fish and no hope’: Poor sockeye salmon run takes a toll on Chignik
A dreadful sockeye run in the Chignik salmon fishery, on the south side of the Alaska Peninsula, is imperiling commercial and subsistence fishermen and distressing the community there. In the Chignik salmon fishery, the sockeye escapement — or the number of fish allowed to escape past the fishermen to spawn — was about 190,000 fish as of Friday afternoon. That’s less than half of what the average figure usually looks like by now. Commercial sockeye fishing has been closed there all season, and subsistence fishing has been restricted. Tribal groups have requested a disaster declaration for the fishery from Gov. Bill Walker. >click to read<14:42
Meanwhile in Area M, the Shumagin Islands and Dolgoi Island are still fishing. Tagging studies show that a significant amount of Chignik fish travel through these areas. So while ADF&G keeps it open, Seattle guys fishing in Area M pick off the sockeye Chignik needs to have any hope for future runs. The most unregulated interception fishery in the state is contributing to the decimation of an entire sockeye run not to mention the Chignik communities.
And the Local Sand Point Fleet and Residents that also depend on commerical salmon fishing are supposed to starve?? What they fail to mention is the BANNER Previous years they have had with fishing time while Area M fishermen sat on the beach waiting for escapement!! These permits were paid for just as the ones in Chignik were. Also, instead of blaming a particular area like Area M or Kodiak, explain why Chignik wasn’t getting their escapement while those areas being blame were on Restricted fishing openings and a schedule that allowed for the run health? I’m willing to bet there have been natures failures long before man ever managed the resources!! It’s called NATURE!!! These fish have been wild and survived for generations.
This issue clearly transcends the economics of fishing vs. sitting on the beach- this is absolutely about the survival of Chignik’s two sockeye runs. Any sockeye caught west of Chignik on the south side of the peninsula have a significant portion of Chignik-bound genetics that are desperately needed to get up the river. Chignik fishermen are looking at standing down for the ENTIRE season yet are still at HALF of the necessary escapement. How can ADF&G bend down to the will of processors and the Area M lobby and watch this disaster continue?