Daily Sitka Sentinel

Chinook Fishery Goes To Catch and Release

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    Citing poor ocean survival conditions of Chinook stocks coastwide, the Department of Fish and Game announced Monday that as of 12:01 a.m. Thursday the retention of king salmon caught in Southeast waters will not be allowed.
    The decision means sport fishermen will have to release any kings they catch, and there will be no second Chinook retention period, leaving about 31,000 kings on the table for the commercial troll fishery.
    “It’s very extreme management measures taken to protect these stocks,” said Grant Hagerman, Fish and Game troll management biologist. “It’s a difficult thing.”
    It’s also unprecedented for Fish and Game to close the second retention period for summer kings inseason, he said.
    Charles Swanton, deputy commissioner of Fish and Game, made the announcement Monday, saying that poor ocean survival conditions for king salmon are persisting in British Columbia and Southeast Alaska, and “extreme management measures” are needed to restrict harvests in coastwide fisheries on stocks originating in Southeast Alaska, Northern British Columbia, the Fraser River and the Washington coast.
    “The inseason data and stock specific information cannot be ignored when conservation of wild stocks is the foundation of the Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fisheries Policy and the Pacific Salmon Treaty,” Swanton said. “Therefore, it is imperative that Alaska offer relief now for these stocks, with a focus on protecting future production.”
    Swanton said the department has been collecting inseason information from ADF&G, the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and NOAA surveys off the coast of Oregon, Washington, and the Gulf of Alaska, all of which indicate that “poor production conditions are currently occurring and will persist through at least 2018.”
    “In particular, Southeast Alaska and British Columbia stocks are experiencing historically low production; many of the affected stocks will not meet escapement goals or management objectives in 2017,” he said.
    The “extreme management measures” covering all sport and commercial fisheries for the entire region came from the commissioner’s office, because it was beyond the authority of regional managers.
    Hagerman said the call to not allow the second king retention period was a group decision. It was not a  particular surprise, given the low forecasts, the early closure of the spring troll fishery, and data that continued to come in during the summer season.
    “It was looking dire inseason,” he said. “Things were looking worse than what was projected to be a low year.”
    Chadwick noted that most of the king salmon stocks that contribute to Sotuheast fisheries are having “extremely poor production” and will not meet escapement goals or management objectives in 2017. The stocks with low productivity would have contributed about half of the remaining 2017 allowable catch in Southeast under the Pacific Salmon Treaty.
    The decision will have a big effect on trollers and other fishermen, who count on the second retention period for summer kings and the high prices that come along with it. Using the $8 average per pound, and 11-pound average weight of kings, the second retention period would have a value of $2.7 million, given the 31,000 kings left. A total of 66,000 kings were harvested in the first summer opening for kings.
    Guided and unguided sport fishermen will have to release any kings they catch, as will gillnetters and seiners.
    Both Chadwick and Hagerman said the reactions from the charter and commercial fleets have been mostly concern for the health of future stocks.
    “The troll fleet is mindful of conservation,” Hagerman said. “They were on board for all-gear conservation."
    “We’re hearing from all fleets, voicing their support during this time of very low production,” Chadwick said. “Some people are asking for information, wanting to get down to the reasons why. ... All conversations have ended in a positive way. We know we’re in a period of low production for our stocks in Southeast Alaska.”
    Swanton said it was a very difficult decision, but a necessary one, to close the retention period for all recreational and commercial fishermen through September.
    “Information on the status of stocks is still being collected and will inform management decisions beyond the September time frame,” he said.
    Hagerman said he hopes the news will be mitigated somewhat by the good coho and chum fisheries. He noted the 70 to 80 trollers catching chum on the edge of Sitka Sound, and the enhanced chum fishery in Neets Bay.
    “The daily catches are up, the price is up, they’re doing very well,” Hagerman said. “Hopefully the coho fishing continues, the chum fishing continues. ... Things could be worse, but it’s really unfortunate to lose the opportunity for kings."


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