Salmon — Who Can Fish?
Background
Profile
Salmon
- Species
- Timing
- Returns & Management
- Who Can Fish?
Ecology
Geology
Climate
Economy
Ownership
Habitat Pressures and Risk Areas
References
Commercial
The commercial salmon fishery began in the late 1800s. Over the past ten years the commercial harvest has averaged about 1.4 million Sockeye/Red Salmon, 50,000 King/Chinook Salmon, and 300,000 Coho/Silver Salmon. The commercial harvest is valued at about $20 million annually.
Commercial fishers must "own" one of the 540 limited entry permits for the Copper River. The fishery takes place inside and outside of the barrier islands along the Copper River Delta. A series of "markers" define the areas inside the barrier islands, and no fishing can occur above the "line", where fish may be more vulnerable. The "outside" fishing boundary is about 3 miles seaward of the barrier islands, in the Gulf of Alaska.
Related
Copper River Kings at the dock in Cordova
An old fishwheel near Chitina
Fly fishing
A commercial salmon boat
The fishery is conducted from small-boats, usually about 30 feet in length. A net with lightweight, nearly invisible mesh sized to "catch" salmon by the gills is deployed and retrieved by a hydraulic reel. The 900-foot long net is weighted on the bottom with a lead filled line, and has a "cork-line"; where foam filled floats keep the top of the net at the surface of the water. Salmon swim into the net, are caught by their gill-plates, and are brought aboard the boat. The fish are packed in ice, and sold to processors for the commercial market. A "fish-ticket" records the type, number and weight of fish for accounting purposes; weights are used to pay fishermen for their catch, area biologists use the numbers to help manage the harvests. Fishing takes place during "openers", periods of time authorized by the local area management biologists. An opener is between 12 and 48 hours long, once or twice a week, depending on catch and escapement needs. The fishery management is "abundance based", and sonar fish counters placed in the river at Miles Lake monitor salmon escapement numbers. These fish counts are used to open and close the fishing periods to allow adequate "escapement" for spawning, subsistence, personal use and sport fisheries upriver. The commercial fishing managers are stationed in Cordova, the port serving the commercial fishing fleet.
Subsistence
Before western contact, Ahtna and Eyak Natives harvested Chinook, sockeye and Coho salmon using funnel traps and spears in clear-water tributaries. In the muddy main stem and at the Copper River delta, weirs, gillnets, and dip nets were used. At the turn of the 20th century western settlers introduced fish wheels, and by 1920, fish wheels and dip nets were the dominant methods for harvesting subsistence salmon. Today, subsistence fishing is still an important part of Alaskan life. On the Copper River, participation and harvest has increased from about 4,500 permits in 1984 to over 8,000 today. In 1984 about 75,000 sockeye and 2,300 Chinook were harvested in the subsistence fisheries. In 2003, the harvest was about 130,000 sockeye and 4,500 Chinook. Since 1990, approximately 95% of the subsistence harvest has been sockeye salmon, 4% Chinook salmon, and 1% Coho salmon. In the Alaska managed subsistence fishery, the percentage of non-Copper River basin participants has increased from less that 20% prior to 1991 to about 60% in 1999.
Prior to the arrival of western culture, the Ahtna people of the upper Copper River managed the salmon resources through territorial use rights. Tribal "bands" were closely associated with geographic core areas that included a variety of subsistence resources, including fishing sites. The Ahtna preferred males for traditional dried fish, and selected for sex, often letting females go. Harvest by fish trap was often interrupted for processing fish, allowing escapement. Strong traditions against waste limited catch to what could be processed without spoilage, and when sufficient fish were caught, traps were closed until processing was complete, allowing escapement for spawning. The Ahtna people have given names to 21 distinct salmon runs on different tributaries, and their approach to recognizing these "stocks" of fish is mirrored by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game efforts to identify and manage the discrete stocks of salmon to preserve diversity within the river system.
Alaska passed its first subsistence law in 1978, guaranteeing "customary and traditional use" of fish and game, and setting subsistence harvest as a priority in terms of resource allocation. Qualifying residents of Alaska can obtain an Alaska Subsistence Harvest Permit. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) mandated subsistence hunting and fishing preference for "rural" residents on federal lands in 1980. In 1989, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that ANILCA's rural priority violated the Alaska Constitution. As a result, the Federal government manages subsistence uses on Federal public lands and waters in Alaska. Federal permits are only issued to residents of areas specifically defined in regulation. Subsistence fishers may use fish-wheels and dip nets for harvest. Harvested fish may be traded or bartered for other goods or services. Most subsistence fishing takes place in the Copper River basin. No in-season management adjustments to harvest are made, and, as subsistence needs increase, in-river escapement goals are increased to meet the needs of subsistence fishers. The harvest data is based on post-season catch reports.
Personal use
Personal use fisheries are managed to maximize harvest potential for Alaska residents, who use dip-nets to capture fish, providing opportunity for participants to put fish "in the freezer" for family consumption. Fish may not be sold, traded or bartered. Catch limits are 15 salmon per individual and 30 salmon per household; only one can be a Chinook/King. Over 9,000 Alaskans participate in this fishery, and harvest an estimated 100,000 fish. In season management is based on run strength and timing as recorded at the Miles Lake sonar fish counter. Harvest data is estimated based on post season reporting. The personal use fishery is managed by opening and closing areas for harvest. The personal use fisheries managers are stationed in Glennallen.
Sport
Sport fishing for king, red, and Coho salmon has increased in effort over the past two decades. Sport fishing most often occurs in the spawning tributaries. Average reported harvests have increased six fold in the last 15 years, and the Klutina and Gulkana are the most popular areas for king salmon. Sport harvest of King salmon has averaged about 6,000, and red salmon averages over 11,000. Harvest data is based on a mail survey of a percentage of anglers. This fishery is managed by season "bag limits" and area closures by managers located in Glennallen.
