State of Alaska Special Status Species
Fish Stocks of Concern

The Policy for the Management of Sustainable Salmon Fisheries (SSFP; 5 AAC 39.222, effective 2000, amended 2001) directs the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) to provide the Alaska Board of Fisheries (Board) with reports on the status of salmon stocks and identify any salmon stock that present a concern. In consultation with ADF&G, the Board may designate, amend, or discontinue Stocks of Concern based on stock status reports and recommendations from ADF&G. The SSFP defines three levels of concern (Yield, Management, and Conservation) with yield being the lowest level of concern and conservation the highest level of concern.

Further detail and definitions for each category of Stocks of Concern can be found in the tabs below. The table below lists all current Stocks of Concern statewide, as established by the Board, through the most recent regulatory cycle. This list will be updated annually after each regulatory cycle to reflect any changes to Stock of Concern designations. Additionally, the link below will open the most recent published statewide escapement report containing information on salmon escapements throughout the state, inclusive of more detailed information on historical and current Stocks of Concern.

View the most recently published statewide escapement report (PDF 1.2 MB).

Definitions

Yield Concern

A stock of Yield Concern is defined as "a concern arising from a chronic inability, despite the use of specific management measures, to maintain specific yields, or harvestable surpluses, above a stock's escapement needs; a Yield Concern is less severe than a Management Concern" (5 AAC 39.222(f)(42)).

The SSFP defines chronic inability as "the continuing or anticipated inability to meet expected yields over a 4 to 5 year period."

Management Concern

A stock of Management Concern is defined as “a concern arising from a chronic inability, despite the use of specific management measures, to maintain escapements for a salmon stock within the bounds of the SEG, BEG, OEG, or other specified management objectives for the fishery; a Management Concern is not as severe as a Conservation Concern.” (5 AAC 39.222(f)(21))

Further, SEG (Sustainable Escapement Goal) is defined as “a level of escapement, indicated by an index or an escapement estimate, that is known to provide for sustained yield over a 5 to 10 year period, used in situations where BEG cannot be estimated due to the absence of a stock specific catch estimate; the SEG is the primary management objective for the escapement, unless an optimal escapement or inriver run goal has been adopted by the Board, and will be developed from the best available biological information; the SEG will be determined by ADF&G and will be stated as a range that takes into account data uncertainty; ADF&G will seek to maintain escapements within the bounds of SEG.”(5 AAC 39.222(f)(36))

BEG (Biological Escapement Goal) is defined as “the escapement that provides the greatest potential for maximum sustained yield; BEG will be the primary management objective for the escapement unless an optimal escapement or inriver goal has been adopted; BEG will be developed from the best available biological information, and should be scientifically defensible on the basis of available biological information; BEG will be determined by ADF&G and will be expressed as a range based on factors such as salmon stock productivity and data uncertainty; ADF&G will seek to maintain evenly distributed salmon escapements within the bounds of BEG.” (5 AAC 39.222(f)(3))

OEG (Optimal Escapement Goal) is defined as “a specific management objective for salmon escapement that considers biological and allocative factors and may differ from SEG or BEG; the OEG will be sustainable and may be expressed as a range with the lower bound above the level of SET [Sustained Escapement Threshold: see Conservation Concern definitions], and will be adopted as a regulation by the Board; ADF&G will seek to maintain evenly distributed escapements within the bounds of the OEG.” (5 AAC 39.222(f)(25))

Conservation Concern

A stock of Conservation Concern is defined as “a concern arising from a chronic inability, despite the use of specific management measures, to maintain escapements for a stock above a sustained escapement threshold (SET); a Conservation Concern is more severe than a Management Concern.” (5 AAC 39.222(f)(6))

Further, sustained escapement threshold (SET) is defined as “a threshold level of escapement, below which the ability of the salmon stock to sustain itself is jeopardized; in practice, SET can be estimated based on lower ranges of historical escapement levels, for which the salmon stock has consistently demonstrated the ability to sustain itself; the SET is lower than the lower bound of the BEG [Biological Escapement Goal: see Management Concern definitions] and lower than the lower bound of the SEG [Sustainable Escapement Goal: see Management Concern definitions]; the SET is established by ADF&G in consultation with the Board, as needed, for salmon stock of management or Conservation Concern.” (5 AAC 39.222(f)(39)

Stocks of Concern (as of April 2019)
System Species Area Year Designated [a] Level of Concern Year Last Reviewed [b]
Chilkat River Chinook Southeast 2017 Management 2017
King Salmon River Chinook Southeast 2017 Management 2017
Unuk River Chinook Southeast 2017 Management 2017
McDonald Lake sockeye Southeast 2017 Management 2017
McNeil River chum Cook Inlet 2016 Management 2016
Susitna (Yentna) River sockeye Cook Inlet 2007 Yield 2016
Chuitna River Chinook Cook Inlet 2010 Management 2016
Theodore River Chinook Cook Inlet 2010 Management 2016
Lewis River Chinook Cook Inlet 2010 Management 2016
Alexander Creek Chinook Cook Inlet 2010 Management 2016
Willow Creek Chinook Cook Inlet 2010 Yield 2016
Goose Creek [c] Chinook Cook Inlet 2010 Management 2016
Sheep Creek Chinook Cook Inlet 2013 Management 2016
Karluk River Chinook Kodiak 2010 Management 2016
Yukon River Chinook Yukon 2000 Yield 2018
Norton Sound Sub-district 5 & 6 Chinook Norton Sound 2003 Yield 2018

[a] Indicates start of Alaska Board of Fisheries cycle in which Stock of Concern was designated (e.g. 2018/2019 BOF cycle = 2018).

[b] Indicates start of Alaska Board of Fisheries cycle in which Stock of Concern was last reviewed (e.g. 2018/2019 BOF cycle = 2018).

[c] Goose Creek Chinook salmon was originally designated a stock of yield concern then modified to stock of management concern in 2013.