Limits for king salmon sport revised

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced late last week its revised 2015 sport fishing regulations for king salmon in Southeast and Yakutat.

Starting yesterday and in effect through May 2, 2016, Alaskan resident permit-holders’ bag and possession limit is two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length. From October 1 through March 31, resident sport anglers may use two rods while fishing for king salmon.

Nonresidential permit holders’ bag and possession limit is still one king salmon 28 inches or greater in length, with an annual limit of three, down from six.

The revision does not affect special regulations governing Wrangell Narrows-Blind Slough Terminal Harvest Area, though those are set to naturally expire on July 31. Afterward, fishing in those areas will be governed by the standard regulations.

King salmon limits for

residents and nonresidents in the Narrows and Blind Slough are two fish for those measuring 28 inches or greater, and two for those less than 28 inches. King salmon caught by nonresident anglers in the terminal harvest area will not count toward the 2015 nonresident annual limit.

The terminal harvest area includes the portion of the Wrangell Narrows south of Martinesen’s Dock and

northeast of the northern tip of Woewodski Island and the fresh waters of Blind

Slough upstream of a line between Blind and Anchor points.

The revision is a rescinding of an emergency order issued on April 30, resetting king salmon abundance index levels between 1.2 and 1.5 according to the Southeast Alaska King Salmon Management Plan.

“This was actually based on our Pacific Salmon Treaty,” explained wildlife biologist Patrick Fowler.

King salmon sport fishery regulations are managed under provisions of the Southeast Alaska King Salmon Management Plan. This plan prescribes management measures based upon the preseason abundance index determined by the Chinook Technical Committee of the Pacific Salmon Commission, which represents Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Canada.

The commission was not able to agree on a preseason abundance estimate by the May 1 cutoff, so the season began using last year’s abundance index of 2.57, which for the sport fishery equates to around 81,000 salmon.

The PSC will be reviewing the model used to calculate the abundance index to address concerns with inaccuracy of the current model.