Alaska Peninsula Area
Subsistence Fishing

Research

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game operates weirs on five rivers (Sandy, Ilnik, Nelson/Sapsuk, Bear and Orzinski rivers) within in the Alaska Peninsula area. The purpose of a weir is to identify and enumerate species of anadromous fish during their upstream migration and the seaward migration for Dolly Varden and steelhead. Weirs are just one of the tools the department utilizes to monitor escapement in order to manage the commercial, sport and subsistence fisheries. You can search the salmon escapement database for these rivers.

Also, for all types of subsistence fisheries throughout the Alaska Peninsula you must obtain a subsistence fishing permit every year, which are required by regulation to subsistence fish. The information obtained by permit returns is invaluable to managers so they can make decisions to insure that the subsistence salmon needs of rural residents are maintained. The system only works if people obtain a permit, fill out the permit return information on the back of the permit and return the permit to ADF&G when they have finished fishing for the season. This information includes the date, method, species, amount and location of all harvests for the household.