ADF&G Announces 2022 Southeast Alaska Chinook Salmon All-Gear Catch Limit
— ADF&G Press Release
Doug Vincent-Lang, Commissioner
P.O. Box 115526
Juneau, Alaska 99811-5526
Press Release: January 26, 2022
CONTACT: Dani Evenson 907-465-8294, dani.evenson@alaska.gov
ADF&G Announces 2022 Southeast Alaska Chinook Salmon All-Gear Catch Limit
(Anchorage, AK) — Under the management provisions of the Pacific Salmon Treaty (treaty), the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) announced today that the preseason all-gear catch limit for Southeast Alaska (SEAK) is 266,585 treaty Chinook salmon for 2022. The ADF&G target will be 261,250 Chinook salmon. This year's target includes a 2% reduction from the treaty catch limit that will serve as a buffer to avoid exceeding the all-gear limit and payback provisions of the treaty.
The all-gear catch limit for SEAK is based on a forecast of the aggregate abundance of Pacific Coast Chinook salmon stocks subject to management under the treaty as determined by catch per unit effort model that uses data from the SEAK early winter troll fishery consistent with provisions of the treaty.
The SEAK Chinook salmon all-gear catch limit is distributed among sport and commercial fisheries under management plans specified by the Alaska Board of Fisheries as follows:
| Sector | 2022 Chinook Salmon Target |
| Commercial purse seine (4.3% of all-gear) | 11,230 |
| Commercial drift gillnet (2.9% of all-gear) | 7,580 |
| Commercial set gillnet (1,000) | 1,000 |
| Commercial troll (80% after net gear subtracted) | 193,150 |
| Sport (20% after net gear subtracted) | 48,290 |
| Total catch target | 261,250 |
The preseason outlook is for continued poor production of SEAK Chinook salmon stocks, including seven stocks (Chilkat, King Salmon, Taku, Stikine, Unuk and Chickamin rivers and Andrew Creek) previously listed or recently adopted as Stocks of Management Concern. This will necessitate a management regime aimed at minimizing catches of these stocks. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Alaska Board of Fisheries was unable to physically meet in 2020/2021 but have begun in-person meetings for the 2021/2022 meeting cycle. The 2022 commercial and sport fishery will be managed consistent with strategies used in 2019–2021 which were successful in reducing catches and lowering harvest rates of SEAK wild Chinook salmon. The Board intends to take up SEAK wild Chinook salmon at its Southeast and Yakutat Finfish and Shellfish meeting in the 2021/2022 meeting cycle, scheduled for this March 10–22 in Anchorage.
Related Division of Sport Fish Advisory Announcements:
Related Division of Commercial Fisheries Advisory Announcements: