Fisheries Disasters Declared On Kuskokwim, Yukon Rivers

From a report by radio station KYUK, a federal disaster was declared for fisheries on the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers in addition to more than a dozen others. Here’s more:

The disaster declarations include the 2020 Kuskokwim River salmon fishery and the 2020 and 2021 Yukon River salmon fisheries. These fisheries saw significant salmon declines both years, with the Yukon salmon fishery seeing its lowest runs ever in the summer of 2021. Yukon River families were not allowed to fish for subsistence, and the commercial fishery remained closed.

Executive director for the Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association, Serena Fitka, helped lead a group of Yukon River tribal and fishing organizations to campaign for the Yukon disaster declarations.

“I give the credit to the Yukon River communities, everyone that pulled together to make their voices heard that we are in crisis mode right now,” Fitka said.

The groups issued a letter last fall that listed the impacts of the salmon collapse on residents, “which include cultural loss, food security, psychological impacts, and the overall wellness of the people along the river.”