Haines — The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced today that due to a low preseason forecast for Chilkat River king salmon abundance, commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries in upper Lynn Canal, Chilkat Inlet, and the Chilkat River will be managed conservatively.

Commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries in Lynn Canal and Chilkat Inlet are managed under the directives of the Lynn Canal and Chilkat River King Salmon Fishery Management Plan (5 AAC 33.384).  This plan directs the department to manage fisheries based upon the stock assessment program to achieve an inriver run of 1,850-3,600 large (three ocean age and older) king salmon. The inriver run goal was not achieved in 2012, 2013, and 2014, and the 2015 preseason inriver forecast is for a Chilkat River king salmon run that will fall short of the lower bound of the inriver abundance goal if normal fisheries are prosecuted.

Chilkat Inlet, north of Seduction Point, will be closed to commercial salmon fishing through the second week of the season. In addition, commercial fishing in the western portion of upper Lynn Canal south of Seduction Point will be managed with conservative time and area to protect returning Chilkat River king salmon.

Chilkat Inlet, north of Seduction Point, will be closed to sport fishing for king salmon April 15-July 15. In addition, the sport fishing bag and possession limit will be one king salmon 28 inches or greater in length in District 15, the waters of Lynn Canal north of Little Island Light, including Chilkoot, Lutak, and Taiya Inlets, April 15-December 31.

The marine subsistence fishery in Chilkat Inlet will be closed and will remain closed until July 15, 2015. The marine subsistence fishery in Lutak and Chilkoot Inlets, north of Battery Point, will open as normal on June 20, 2015.

The subsistence gillnet fishery in the Chilkat River, excluding that portion of the river from Haines Highway mile 19 continuing upstream to Wells Bridge, will be closed June 15-July 31.

The actions described above are intended to reduce fishery harvests of Chilkat River king salmon, help ensure the inriver run goal is achieved, and allow king salmon to reach spawning areas. The department is requesting all king salmon incidentally harvested in area subsistence fisheries be released to assist in rebuilding the Chilkat River king salmon run. Please refer to landmarks shown on the map on the following page identifying the closed areas.

The Emergency Orders corresponding with this news release are 1S0215 and 1-KS-F-05-15.
 

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