Local advisory committee on fisheries regulations will meet Tuesday

The Wrangell advisory committee to the state boards of fisheries and game will meet Tuesday to begin its consideration of multiple proposed changes in state regulations for salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska.

The committee also will hold elections to fill several seats on the 15-member panel.

The public meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26, at the Nolan Center. Though the public may attend the meeting by Zoom, in-person attendance is required to nominate people to serve on the committee and to vote in the election.

The meeting is one of three or four that will be held in advance of the Alaska Board of Fisheries meeting Jan. 28 through Feb. 9 in Ketchikan, when proposed rule changes for Southeast finfish and shellfish management will be considered, said Chris Guggenbickler, chair of the Wrangell advisory committee.

It will take several meetings over the next couple of months to work through all the proposals, Guggenbickler said. Proposals submitted from around Southeast cover subsistence, sport and commercial fishing, allocation issues and gear.

The local advisory committees provide a forum for communities to put forth suggested rule changes and comment on proposals from Alaska Department of Fish and Game staff, advisory committees, fishing industry organizations and individuals.

“Our advisory committee is speaking for our residents,” Guggenbickler said.

There are about 30 proposals related to king salmon fishing, he said. Though the committee does not have to comment on every suggested rule change, he noted, “local residents are passionate about catching a king salmon.”

Several of the proposals going before the Board of Fisheries this winter deal with rules governing the Southeast charter fleet, which Guggenbickler said is a bigger industry in other communities, such as Sitka.

“Until the Stikine (salmon runs) start rebuilding, there’s not a lot of opportunity here,” he said. Weak returns have prompted years of restrictions on fishing in the Stikine area, pushing sport, charter and commercial boats into other areas.

To attend Tuesday’s advisory committee by Zoom, go to https://bit.ly/4fwWbgh; the meeting ID is 838 2163 0980; the password is Wrangell.