Glennallen Subsistence Fishery Facing Limited Open Time

ADFG photo

The following press release is courtesy of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game:

(Glennallen) – The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is closing the Glennallen Subdistrict subsistence fishery due to extremely low numbers of returning sockeye salmon. Therefore, effective 12:01 a.m. Monday, June 25, 2018, the fishery will close.

The fishery will then reopen for a 48-hour period beginning 12:00 p.m. Friday, June 29, 2018, and ending 12:00 p.m.Sunday, July 1. Thereafter, the fishery will open for 48-hour periods 12:00 p.m. Friday to 12:00 p.m. Sunday every week through August 31. By Emergency Order, the Subdistrict will reopen to a 7-days a week fishing period on September 1 to allow for harvest of coho salmon.

As of June 18, 2018, a total of 240,282 salmon have passed the Miles Lake sonar. The preseason projection for this date was 333,896 salmon, which results in a deficit of 93,614 salmon or 28% from expected. Copper River sockeye salmon have a sustainable escapement goal (SEG) of 360,000 – 750,000 fish. Final sockeye salmon spawning escapement is expected to range between 310,000 and 390,000 fish without restrictions to the subsistence fishery. Due to the uncertainty of achieving the lower bound escapement goal of 360,000 for the Copper River sockeye salmon, the Glennallen Subdistrict fishing time and harvest potential are being restricted to a single 48-hour fishing period each week through the remainder of sockeye salmon run.

ADF&G staff will be monitoring this fishery and if run strength improves based on sonar counts, additional time to weekly openings may be added. However, if sonar counts decline further restrictions may be added.

For information on the Glennallen Subsistence Fishery, please visit the ADF&G Copper River Subsistence Fishingwebpage. This site provides information regarding the Upper Copper River fisheries including fishery descriptions and summaries, maps of the subdistricts, a listing of vendors that carry the permits, and links to the sonar numbers and fishing schedule emergency orders.