Norton Sound And Port Clarence Stock Status And Fishery Overview PDF Download

The Policy for the Management of Sustainable Salmon Fisheries (SSFP; 5 AAC 39.222) directs the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (department) to assess salmon stocks during Alaska Board of Fisheries (board) regulatory cycles, to identify stocks of concern and to reassess the stock of concern status for stocks previously designated. In response to the guidelines established in the SSFP (5 AAC 39.222), the Alaska Board of Fisheries (board) classified Norton Sound Subdistrict 5 (Shaktoolik) and Norton Sound Subdistrict 6 (Unalakleet) Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha as a stock of yield concern at its January 2004 meeting. An action plan was developed by the department and acted upon by the board. The board continued the Subdistrict 5 and Subdistrict 6 Chinook salmon classification as a stock of yield concern in 2007 and adopted a Chinook salmon management plan (5 AAC 04.395) to increase escapements and restore the stock to historical levels of abundance. In 2010 and 2013, the board continued the stock of concern designation and modified the management plan to provide direction for targeting commercial chum (O. keta) and pink (O. gorbuscha) salmon fisheries in times of low Chinook salmon abundance. Gillnet mesh size restrictions and fishery closures were required to achieve the North River escapement goal in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2019. Escapement goals were not achieved in 2008, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, or 2020–2022 despite similar conservation measures. The 2011 escapement could not be determined. From 2018–2022, Subdistricts 5 and 6 Chinook salmon stock yields have remained well below historical averages (1994–1999), despite the use of specific management measures. Therefore, Subdistricts 5 and 6 Chinook salmon continue to meet the definition for a stock of yield concern as defined in the SSFP and the department recommends continuing the stock of yield concern classification.