There will need to be a closure at Deep Inlet for cost recovery harvest soon, although the exact date is being discussed in the Executive Committee. Final decision on date will be made early next week.
Due to the run failure at Hidden Falls (broodstock is secure at 160,000 chum) we will need to harvest an additional lot of chum at Deep Inlet to make up for the income shortfall. Not including what we have already harvested at Deep Inlet, we need to harvest 300,000 additional chum salmon. The DI summer run forecast was 400,000 fish and is on track for hitting that target. The fall run is forecast for 1.35 million chum. On average in a run of this size, 500,000+ fish are caught between the weeks of August 7 and August 14 (Aug 7th to 21st). In a cost recovery exercise we should be able to harvest 300,000 fish within that period, although it might slide into the beginning of the week of 21 August. Some of the 500,000 fish will be caught in the troll fishery and perhaps seine fishery if there are pink salmon openings in Sitka Sound.
I will get a news release out via ADF&G as soon as a decision is made. I will also post a blog and send an email to NSRAA board members so fishermen will have time to plan their next move.
Thank you for your patience under the difficult circumstances.
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