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ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME
Cora Campbell, Acting Commissioner

DIVISION OF SPORT FISH
Charles O. Swanton, Director

Contact:
Mark Somerville
Upper Copper-Upper Susitna Area Management Biologist
Phone: 907-822-3309

June 18, 2014

UPPER COPPER RIVER SPORT FISH BAG AND POSSESSION LIMIT FOR SOCKEYE SALMON INCREASED TO SIX PER DAY

Effective 12:01 a.m. Monday, June 23, the sport fish daily bag and possession limit for sockeye salmon is 6 fish for the remainder of the season.

The sustainable escapement goal for sockeye salmon in the Copper River drainage is 360,000–750,000 fish. The 2014 inriver goal for the upper Copper River is 748,000 salmon. As of June 16, the Miles Lake sonar cumulative count was 653,828 salmon. Based on current sonar counts and projected counts for the remainder of the run, the 2014 sockeye salmon escapement is expected to exceed the upper end of the sustainable escapement goal. As provided by 5 AAC 75.003. Emergency order authority. (2)(A), the department has emergency order authority to increase sport fish bag and possession limits when the total escapement is projected to exceed the escapement goal and the total harvest under the increased bag and possession limit will not reduce the escapement below the escapement goal. Therefore, it is warranted to provide additional harvest opportunity and increase the sockeye salmon bag and possession limit in the upper Copper River drainage.
 

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