Fred Bue, Area Management Biologist
Bill Busher, Asst. Area Management Biologist
Phone:
(907) 459-7274
Fax: (907) 459-7271
Districts Affected: Lower Yukon River
The 2009 Yukon River fall chum run has been assessed to be poor. However, the coho run is tracking above average. Since the majority of the fall chum run has now passed upriver for escapement and subsistence use, the department opened one commercial period in District Y-1 on September 6 to test fall chum and coho salmon abundance. The preliminary commercial harvest report for the period was 424 coho and 82 fall chum salmon. Because of the low harvest, the department is announcing one commercial fishing period in District Y-1 to target coho salmon. Additional commercial periods may be allowed in Districts 1 and 2 after assessing the results of this fishing period.
District Y-1
The next commercial fishing period in District Y-1, including the
Set Net Onlyarea, will be open on Tuesday, September 8, from 10:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. This will be a 9-hour commercial fishing period for District Y-1.
Subsistence fishing is currently open 7 days per week in Districts 1, 2, and 3 except for closures 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. Monday, September 7 and reopen at 7:00 a.m. Wednesday, September 9.
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.
