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The Yukon Area has shifted to Fall season management in the lower river districts. Based on the performance of this year’s summer chum salmon run, the fall chum salmon total run size is projected to be near 650,000. Both summer and fall chum salmon are currently entering the river in low numbers. Therefore, commercial fishing at this transition time in the lower river would likely harvest a mixture of both stocks.

District Y-1
The next fall season commercial fishing period in District Y-1, including the Set Net Only Area, will be open on Wednesday, July 22, from 1:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. This will be a 10-hour commercial fishing period with gillnets restricted to 6 inch mesh size or less.

The department is reminding fishermen who are intending to fish in the Set Net Only Area of District Y-1 that they are required to register prior to commercial fishing during the fall season in District Y-1. Registration can be completed by contacting the Emmonak Fish and Game office or registration forms will also be posted in local District Y-1 community Post Offices. After the first commercial period of the fall season, regulations require a 72-hour waiting period to transfer into and out of the Set Net Only Area. The waiting period begins once you have notified the department of your intentions to transfer. For those individuals who are intending to fish in the remainder of District Y-1 or District Y-2, no special registration is required and those fishermen will be registered to the district where their first delivery is made.

The department anticipates making an announcement regarding the next District Y-2 commercial fishing period on Friday, July 24.

In Districts Y-1 and Y-2, subsistence salmon fishing is open 7 days per week, 24-hours a day except for 12 hours before, during, and 12 hours after each commercial fishing period with unrestricted mesh size gillnets. In District Y-3 subsistence salmon fishing is open 7 days per week. For District Y-1 subsistence salmon fishing will close at 1:00 a.m. Wednesday, July 22, and reopen at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, July 23.

Recorded fishery announcements and updates will be available 24 hours a day when calling 949-1731 or 1-8.... If you have any questions regarding this report, please call the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Emmonak at 949-1320. The Fish and Game office stands by on VHF channel 7a.

This has been an announcement by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.