Low fish counts close Copper River commercial fishing

THE TIMES STAFF

July 03, 2008 at 1:07PM AKST

As of June 27, the sonar at Miles Lake has counted a total of 393,143 salmon since counting started on May 15. The anticipated cumulative minimum in river escapement count for this date is 417,221.

While daily passage for June 23-27 has been above the minimum daily in-river goal, passage for the previous seven days has been lower. This has resulted in an overall shortfall of 24,084, of which 5,763 have occurred in the last two weeks.

The midnight to 6 a.m. count for Saturday, June 28, was 1,800. An aerial survey of delta stocks was flown on Saturday, June 21, with observational conditions ranging from poor to good.

A total of 9,790 fish were counted in the Bering and Copper River districts vs. an anticipated minimum count of 19,258 for statistical week 25, June 15-21.

The Copper River District was open for a 48-hour subsistence-only drift gillnet period beginning 7 a.m., Sunday, June 29.

Fishermen are advised that vessels used to subsistence fish may not deploy more than the legal quantity of gear, 50 fathoms, regardless of the number of subsistence permit holders onboard. Subsistence harvests from previous periods are unknown as there are no inseason harvest reporting requirements for subsistence users in the Copper River District.

The Bering River District is closed. The Bering River District is anticipated to open when the Copper River District is reopened to commercial harvest.

The Coghill District excluding some areas was open to commercial fishing for 48 hours beginning 8 a.m., Monday, June 30. Harvest from the period that closed on Tuesday, June 24, was 133,665 chum and 27,407 sockeye salmon.

As of Friday, June 27, a total of 1,789 sockeye had been passed through the weir vs. 3,455 fish for that date. Consequently, the transition to deep gear is anticipated to occur no earlier than the first Monday in July.

The Eshamy District was open to commercial gillnet harvest for a 48-hour period beginning 8 a.m. on Monday, June 30.

The harvest from the period that closed on Wednesday, June 25 was 43,964 chum and 93,813 sockeye salmon.

The Unakwik District was open to commercial gillnet harvest for a 48-hour period beginning 8 a.m. on Monday, June 30. There was no reported harvest from the period that closed on Wednesday, June 25, nor in any of the previous openings.

Valdez Fisheries Development Association forecasts a total return of 9.8 million pink salmon. The association’s common property pink salmon fishery is anticipated to open when cost recovery is approximately 30 percent complete. Approximately 721,000 pink salmon have been harvested or 17 percent of the cost recovery goal.

Cost recovery harvest has fluctuated over the last three days, June 26-29, but has remained above the preseason anticipated daily harvest.

As of Friday, June 27, the average pink salmon weight was 2.77 lbs with a female percentage of 10 percent. Based on current run entry, harvest rates and VFDA recommendations, seine boats should be prepared for a potential commercial common property fishery opening by Wednesday, July 2. The second Eastern District aerial survey was flown early last week with a minimal number of chum salmon seen in Port Fidalgo and Port Gravina.

The Port Chalmers Subdistrict remains open to purse seine fishing on a regular schedule of open periods from Monday at 8 a.m. through Sunday at 8 p.m. Regulatory closed waters and anadromous stream closures within the Port Chalmers Subdistrict will not be in effect until further notice.

The harvest from the last fishing period, June 16-22, in Port Chalmers was approximately 217,000 chum salmon.

The Southwestern district on the east side of Knight Island, the waters of Marsha Bay, west of 147o 39.75’ W. long. remain open to purse seine fishing on a regular schedule of open periods from Monday at 8 a.m. through Sunday at 8 p.m..

This schedule will remain in effect until further notice. Anadromous stream closures within Marsha Bay will not be in effect until further notice. Harvest from the last fishing period, June16-22, in Marsha Bay are confidential.