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Districts Affected: Lower Yukon River
The Pilot Station sonar cumulative passage estimate through August 2 of approximately 50,000 fall chum salmon is well below average at this time and indicates late run timing. Based on the performance of the summer chum salmon run, this year’s Yukon River fall chum salmon run size is projected to be near 650,000 which indicates there will be a small surplus available for commercial harvest.

The preliminary fall season combined commercial harvest for Districts Y-1 and Y-2 through August 2 is approximately 12,700 fall chum, 350 coho, and 220 Chinook salmon.

District Y-1
The next fall season commercial fishing period in District Y-1, including the Set Net Only Area, will be Wednesday, August 5, from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. This will be a 10-hour commercial fishing period with gillnets restricted to six- inch or smaller mesh.

Subsistence salmon fishing in the lower river districts remain open continuously except for 12 hours before, during, and 12 hours after commercial fishing periods.

In District Y-1, subsistence salmon fishing will close at 10:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 4, and reopen at 8:00 a.m. Thursday, August 6.

Commercial fishermen are reminded that after initial registration is completed; those fishermen intending to transfer between Districts Y-1 and Y-2 are required by regulation to wait 72 hours before fishing. The waiting period begins once you have notified the department in Emmonak of your intentions to transfer.

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.