Current through August 30, 2024
(a) The purpose of
this management plan is to provide management tools and guidelines to the
department for the management of Nushagak District salmon fisheries, while
Nushagak River king salmon are listed as a stock of management concern, which
will result in the sustained yield of king salmon stocks large enough to meet
sustainable escapement goals, while allowing for harvest opportunity in the
subsistence, sport, and commercial fisheries.
(b) While the Nushagak River king salmon are
listed as a stock of management concern, it is the intent of the board that all
Nushagak District salmon stocks are managed conservatively through June 28 to
protect Nushagak River king salmon, consistent with
5
AAC 39.222 (policy for the management of sustainable
salmon fisheries).
(c) The
department shall manage commercial fisheries in the Nushagak District as
follows:
(1) to achieve an inriver run goal
of 95,000 king salmon in the Nushagak River consistent with the
Nushagak-Mulchatna King Salmon Management Plan as described in
5
AAC 06.361(b)(1).
(2) when the Wood River sockeye salmon
forecast or in season projection is less than 5,000,000 fish the department
shall manage for the current sustainable escapement goal (SEG) of 700,000 to
1,800,000 fish;
(3) when the Wood
River sockeye salmon forecast or inseason assessment of run size is greater
than five million fish the department shall manage to achieve a Wood River
sockeye salmon optimal escapement goal (OEG) of 700,000 fish to an upper bound
that is up to 15 percent of the Wood River run size above the 1,800,000 fish
upper bound of the SEG, based on the preseason forecast and in season
assessment of run size;
(4) when
the Nushagak River sockeye salmon forecast or inseason projection is less than
2,500,000 fish, the department shall manage for the current SEG of 370,000 to
900,000 fish;
(5) when the Nushagak
River sockeye salmon forecast or inseason assessment of run size is greater
than 2,500,000 fish the department shall manage to achieve a Nushagak River
sockeye salmon OEG of 370,000 fish to an upper bound that is up to 15 percent
of the Nushagak run size above the 900,000 fish upper bound of the SEG, based
on the preseason forecast and in season assessment of run
size.
(d) Before 9:00
a.m. June 28, if the Nushagak king salmon inriver run size is projected to be
less than 95,000 fish, the commissioner shall close, by emergency order, the
sockeye salmon commercial drift gillnet fishery in the Nushagak District, and
the sockeye salmon commercial set net fishery in the Nushagak Section of the
Nushagak District until
(1) the sockeye
salmon sonar estimate in the Nushagak River is projected to exceed six percent
of the Nushagak River sockeye salmon run based on the Nushagak River sockeye
salmon preseason forecast and inseason assessment of run size; or
(2)the sockeye salmon count past the Wood
River counting tower is projected to exceed 10 percent of the Wood River
sockeye salmon run size based on the Wood River sockeye salmon preseason
forecast and inseason assessment of run size.
(e) The department shall manage the sport
fishery in the Nushagak River drainage, excluding the Wood River drainage, as
follows:
(1) the annual limit for king salmon
20 inches or greater in length is four fish, of which only one fish may be 28
inches or greater in length;
(2) if
the total inriver king salmon run return in the Nushagak River is projected to
exceed 95,000 fish, the commissioner may, by emergency order, increase the
annual limit for king salmon to four king salmon, 20 inches or greater in
length, with no restrictions for fish over 28 inches in
length.
(f) Subsistence
fisheries will be managed in accordance with the rest of this title.
Authority:AS
16.05.060
AS
16.05.251
