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Return Update-July 8th - NSRAA chum returns last week (stat week 27) seemed to flatline. There was minimal cost recovery completed in Deep Inlet and a moderate amount in SE Cove. The Hidden Falls chum weekly return last week took a slight dip to 50,000 from the previous stat week 26 return of 62,000. So far this week there […]
Return Update-June 25th - NSRAA chinook returns have been picking up the past several weeks with a total estimated harvest in Stat Week 25 of 1,341 adults. The spring chinook fisheries in the Sitka area have harvested over 2,000 Medvejie chinook making up 47% of the Sitka Sound area commercial troll harvest. Currently the return is looking like it […]
Gulf of Alaska Chinook Salmon do not warrant listing under Endangered Species Act - NOAA has concluded its 12-month scientific review to not list Chinook salmon in the Gulf of Alaska as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Action (ESA). PRESS RELEASE NMFS ESA Ruling
NSRAA Salmon Bake & Hatchery Tour - NSRAA will be offering hatchery tours and a BBQ lunch at Medvejie Hatchery on Saturday, June 27th. Lunch will consist of barbecued King Salmon, baked potato, green salad, rolls, watermelon and non-alcoholic drinks. Tickets are $15.00 per person- CASH ONLY and can be purchased during office hours at NSRAA- 1308 Sawmill Creek Road. (8-5 Mon-Fri) […]
Support Alaska Hatcheries at Board of Fisheries - Alaska Board of Fisheries Proposals. Your voice is needed. The board of fisheries will take up three hatchery proposals at the statewide meeting. Proposals 170, 171, and 172 seek to impose broad, preemptive reductions or moratoria on Alaska’s private nonprofit (PNP) salmon hatchery program without demonstrating a causal link between hatchery production and the specific […]July 9th-Return Update
Chum returns through this Friday (July 8th) continue to be extremely weak. While we were not anticipating any strong summer chum returns to our project sites, the numbers to date are significantly behind our forecast for this date. Total cumulative combined summer chum catch to date, for all NSRAA return areas, is less than 20,000 fish. This is approximately 20% of the 2021 catch for the same time period. While there is always hope that it may be a late run, it is looking more and more likely that it is a late and weak run. This past week there have been increases in catch at all our terminal areas which is a good sign but none of the increases were substantial. Sex ratios on summer chum continue to suggest we are in the front half portion of the run, with recent samples at all sites above 60% male. We will need a large change to occur this coming week to even be able to approach our forecasted numbers on summer chum.
This past week we were able to get a sample of chum bycatch caught during the summer King salmon troll opener. From our samples obtained from the northern outside areas there are still a majority of summer chum out there, with the largest proportion being DIPAC, followed closely by Hidden Falls. This gives me some hope that we are still in the early portion of the return to Hidden Falls, as the first 3 weekly test fishing results have been very poor. Additionally, all the Hawk Inlet, Point Gardner and Kingsmill ADFG weekly test fishing results have been similarly dismal for both pinks and chum.
We will be sampling and watching the catch results closely from this Sundays seine openings at SE Cove, Thomas Bay and Augusta to see if the increasing chum catch trend continues. We are also going to be conducting our weekly Hidden Falls test fishing Tuesday morning. Based upon that information we will begin assessing if a closure for summer chum brood stock will be necessary. The location that could potentially be closed to harvest would be SE Cove, with the earliest closure beginning on Sunday July, 17th. We will be posting additional information on returns and on potential closures Wednesday of next week.
SILVER BAY TERMINAL HARVEST AREA TROLL FISHERY – CHINOOK SIZE REDUCTION
The Silver Bay THA (statistical area 113-35) commercial salmon troll fishery will open for the harvest of king salmon 26 inches and greater from 12:01 a.m., Saturday, June 18, through 11:59 p.m., Saturday, July 30, 2022, unless closed by emergency order. (5 AAC 33.375).
See advisory announcement here:
Medvejie Chinook Cost Recovery
NSRAA will be conducting Medvejie Chinook cost recovery harvest in the waters of Bear Cove. Fishing may occur at all hours of the day from Thursday through Sunday, through early July. Fishing will be conducted by contracted seine or gillnet vessels and effort will be concentrated near the hatchery. Sport fishing will remain open and anglers should be vigilant of cost recovery activity in the area during these times . For questions, call the NSRAA office at 747-6850.
UAS Invites Students to Join their Alaskan Aquaculture Semester Program
The University of Alaska Southeast is recruiting students to join their transformative, hands-on Fall semester aquaculture program. It is an adventurous, intensive field semester that provides students with a great opportunity to build regional industry connections and learn exactly what it takes to launch your own ocean farming business.
Please visit the UAS website at this link http://aquaculturesemester.alaska.edu/ to learn more.
NSRAA Board Nominations Open
Attention Southeast Alaska Salmon Permit Holders
NSRAA invites you to nominate commercial fisherman representatives to fill six Board of Director seats that expire in March 2022. See the letter below for full details. The Nomination Form can be downloaded at this link, Nominee Form. You should also receive this form and letter by postal mail. The completed form can be scanned and emailed to scott_wagner@nsraa.org or faxed to (907) 747-1470. These are due by the close of the first day of the fall Board of Directors meeting, 5pm November 18th. We look forward to hearing from you.
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