Salmon allocation, BOF and more

7 Dec

Salmon. Last week, the USAG Board of Directors met in Ketchikan for our annual meeting and participated in Gillnet Task Force and the Joint Regional Planning Team. See the presentations from Fish and Game, and hatchery managers on our website here that give overviews of the 2017 season and 2018 projections (don’t plan for another amazing chum year).

King Salmon. Fish and Game’s 2018 preseason terminal run size forecast for Stikine River large Chinook salmon is 6,900 fish. This size does not provide an Allowable Catch (AC) for either the U.S. or Canada as the forecast is below the lower end of the Escapement Goal Range (EGR) of 14,000 to 28,000 fish.
The 2018 preseason terminal run size forecast for Taku River large Chinook salmon is 4,700 fish. This size does not provide an AC for either the U.S. or Canada as the forecast is below the lower end of the EGR of 19,000 to 36,000 fish. Here’s the news release.

BOF. Last week we thoroughly discussed the salmon Board of Fisheries’ (BOF) proposals and how USAG will respond. Many proposals will affect you by potentially changing how, where and when you fish around southeast. View the proposals HERE and state your opinion! Written comments are due in 21 days (Dec 28). You can also testify in person at the meeting in Sitka (Jan 11-23). Here’s more meeting info.

USAG. USAG board members will be protecting your interests at BOF by writing comments and attending the meeting. BOF happens every three years and is a major expense for the organization. If you aren’t a member, please become one to help defray the costs for this very important meeting.

Wrangell Meeting reminder: 1 p.m. today at the Fire Hall you will find our VP Chris Guggenbickler discussing our meetings last week, the upcoming BOF and more. ALL gillnetters welcome.

Transboundary. Click HERE to add your name to a letter to the Governor, Lt. Governor, Senators Murkowski and Sullivan, and Rep Young that thanks them for writing a letter to Secretary of State Tillerson that asks for federal help to protect our transboundary waters. USAG sent a ‘thank you’ letter yesterday.

Looks like it’s not just Canada with old mine contamination problems. President Trump’s administration announced Friday that it won’t require mining companies to prove they have the financial wherewithal to clean up their pollution, despite an industry legacy of abandoned mines that have fouled waterways across the U.S. Here’s a story.

Thanks for your support and interest,

-Cynthia Wallesz

Executive Director
United Southeast Alaska Gillnetters
PO Box 2196
Petersburg, AK 99833
(208) 995-7400 (cell)
ph: (253) 237-3099 Google Voice
https://www.akgillnet.org/
usag.alaska@gmail.com