PRSRT STD U.S. Postage YUKON PAID Anchorage, AK FISHERIES Permit #643 NEWS m A Publication of the Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association SPRING 2009 North Pacific Fishery Management Council Takes Action YUKON RIVER on Chinook Salmon Bycatch DRAINAGE By Becca Robbins Gisclair, Policy Director FISHERIES ASSOCIATION A United Voice for Downriver and Upriver The North Pacific Fishery Management the U.S. Department of State, and the Yukon Fishermen Council (the Council) took action during its River Panel. Although the hard cap numbers April 2009 meeting to address Chinook salmon chosen by the Council will eliminate the possibil- bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock fishery. The ity of the record high bycatches during the years INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Council received extensive reports and public 2005, 2006, and 2007 being repeated, the num- comments on the alternatives it was considering. bers largely maintain bycatch levels experienced A Message From The Director ..... 3 Of the more than 200 people who gave public before 2005 and will do little to actively reduce Yukon River Fisheries Meetings comment, many were from Western Alaska and salmon bycatch. The Council’s action depends Summer & Fall 2009 ................... 3 from Community Development Quota (CDQ) on industry incentive plans to reduce salmon 2009 YRDFA Resolutions ............. 4 groups. bycatch below the specified hard cap levels. The plans, although innovative, operate outside Voices from the River ................... 5 EffECTS OF THE COUNCIL’S ACTION agency and Council control, aside from some Update on the Whitefish Ultimately, the Council chose a two-part basic requirements for the plans and an annual Strategic Planning Project ............ 6 approach (described below) that provides for Council review. The industry is not even legally Yukon River Chinook Salmon a 47,591 bycatch level in most years, with the required to submit the same plans that had been IMEG – What Does It Mean? ....... 7 potential for the fleet to reach a 60,000 bycatch presented during the course of the Council’s deci- level in two out of every seven years without sion. Fishers Meet to Give Input for consequence. The Council sought to Managing the 2009 Chinook Salmon Season .............................. 8 balance the needs of Western Alaska salmon with the pollock fishery’s 2009 Yukon River Salmon ability to operate. The Council’s deci- Outlook and Management Strategies .................................... 10 sion does place a limit on Chinook salmon bycatch in the pollock fishery, Spotlight on Saint Mary’s ........... 14 which is an important development. Research Perspectives: However, the hard cap numbers cho- Effects of Mesh Size ................... 15 sen by the Council were well above the 29,000 to 32,500 figures request- Yukon River Panel R&E Projects ....................................... 15 ed by groups throughout Western Alaska and recommended by the Federal Subsistence Board and Board YRDFA reserves the right to include or omit any submissions to of Fisheries. The hard cap levels are The Council deliberates on salmon bycatch with a packed house of Western the Yukon Fisheries News. The views expressed in this newsletter Alaskans and pollock industry representatives. Photo credit Victoria Briggs. are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views of also above those recommended by YRDFA. the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “...Council Takes Action…” continued on page 12 Associate Members Lifetime Members Allakaket Tribal Council Asa’ Carsarmiut Tribal Council Alakanuk Brian Rogers Palmer Max Agayar* Doug Sweat Peter J. Stortz Beaver Village Council Richard P. Agayar Darlene Sweat Boreal Fisheries Axel W. Alstrom* Eric Umphenour Pilot Station Bruce Beans*** City of Hooper Bay Frank T. Alstrom, Jr.* Grace C. Alstrom* Fort Yukon Albert Beans, Jr*** City of St. Mary’s Latrell Alstrom Richard Carroll, Sr. Moses Edwards*** Evansville Tribal Council Ragnar Alstrom John Joe Evan Galena Kathy Fancyboy*** Interior Alaska Fish Processors, Inc. Robert S. Alstrom* John Ayunerak Geoff Beyersdorf Paul Fancyboy*** Kotlik Traditional Council Joe Buster* Gilbert Huntington Raymond Fancyboy*** Sidney Huntington Koyukuk Tribal Coucil Louis T. Chikigak* Debbie Francis*** Art Heckman, Sr.*** Nulato Tribal Council Clifford Damian Grayling Jonathan Damian* Arthur Heckman, Jr*** Pitka’s Point Tribal Council Shirley Clark Candace Heckman Lawrence T. Edmund* Carl Walker Ruby Tribal Council Kevin A. Joseph* Charlie Heckman*** Lloyd C. Heckman Yukon Salmon Committee Raymond T. Joseph* Holy cross Wilfred Joseph* Jeffrey Demientieff, Sr. Matushka Heckman Yukon Kings Seafood Frank K. Lamont Billy Newman Stuart Heckman*** Yupiit of Andreafski John H. Lamont III Fr. Stan Heckman*** Raymond J.T. Lamont Hooper Bay Abraham Kelly*** Lorraine Murphy* Lester Wilde Andrew N. Makaily, Jr. Edward Phillip* Andrew N. Makaily, III Kaltag Board of Directors Emmanuel P. Stanislaus* William Myers*** Richard Burnham Nicky Myers*** Ambler Rita Nick*** DiSTRICT / SEAT # REPRESENTAtiVE Kotlik Frank Carruthers Peter Elachik** Evan Polty, Sr.*** Coastal, Seat 1 Lester Wilde John Tinker, Jr*** Anchorage Rudolph Hootch** Y-1, Seat 1 Harry Wilde, Sr. Clement Matthias** Norman Xavier*** William R. Beans Pearl Yunak*** Y-1, Seat 2 Larry Lujan Gabe Evan Joseph P. Mike** Martin P. Okitkun, Sr.** Y-1, Seat 3 Ephrim Thompson Steve Hayes RamparT Nina Heyano Robert Okitkun** Georgianna Lincoln Y-2, Seat 1 Mike P. Peters Jill Klein Michael Prince** Y-2, Seat 2 Albert Beans, Jr. Larry Lujan Billy Teeluk** Ruby Victor Tonuchuk** Florence L. Esmailka Y-2, Seat 3 William Alstrom Aniak Aloysius Unok** Harold Esmailka Y-3, Seat 1 Jeffrey Demientieff Stephen L. Hill George Williams** St. Mary’s Y-4, Seat 1 Benedict Jones Anvik Manley Hot Springs Jerry W. Alexie Y-4, Seat 2 Richard Burnham Ronald Kruger, Sr. Linda Johnson William F. Alstrom Steve O’Brien Francis Beans Y-5, Seat 1 Stan Zuray Bethel Lillian Johnson Y-5, Seat 2 Lester Erhart Timothy C. Andrew Marshall Robert Beans Andy Boot Soldotna Y-6, Seat 1 Philip ‘Jeep’ Titus Terence Reeve Aloysius Coffee Geoff Johnson Y-6, Seat 2 Victor Lord Aloysius Wasuli** David C. Fitka Susan Robinson Koyukuk, Seat 1 Benny Attla Jaylene Fitka Cooper Landing William Manumik Tanana Yukon Flats, Seat 1 Jan Woodruff Robert Gibson Mike P. Peters Lester Erhart Canadian (non-voting) Carl Sidney Vassily Sergie, Sr. Gerald Nicholia Delta Junction Stan Zuray David Davenport Mountain Village Thomas Barclay Tok E mployee Directory Eagle Bronk Jorgensen Andrew Bassich Fred M. Beans, II Fred P. Beans Thor Jorgensen Meghan A. Beans JILL KLEIN, Executive Director Emmonak Wasilla Phone: 907-272-3141, ext. 102 Andrew C. Kelly, Sr. Morgan C. Beans Ernie Chase Email: [email protected] John Lamont William Lawrence Ernest Demoski Matthew Waskey, Sr. BECCA RObbINS GISCLAIR, Policy Director fairbanks Harry Wilde, Sr. Outside alaska Phone: 907-272-3141 ext. 106 William Busher Bill Fliris Email: [email protected] Dane Mikisoq Koponen Nenana Richard Kocan Heather Koponen Doug Bowers Donald Kramer KIM MEEDS, Office Manager Claire Matthews Sherry Modrow Nulato Phone: 907-272-3141 ext. 104 Victor Nicholas Email: [email protected] Donald Robert Moore Denise C. Newman Michael Stickman CATHERINE MONCRIEFF, Anthropologist Phone: 907-272-3141 ext. 107 Email: [email protected] * sponsored by Alakanuk Native Corp. ** sponsored by Kotlik Yupik Corp. *** sponsored by Pilot Station Inc. BOB DUBEY, Science Director Phone: 907-272-3141 ext. 103 Email: [email protected] Yukon Fisheries News is published by the Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association LAUREN SILL, Program Coordinator Phone: 907-272-3141 ext. 101 725 Christensen Drive, Suite 3-B, Anchorage, AK 99501 Email: [email protected] Phone: (907) 272-3141 / Fax: (907) 272-3142 • TOLL-free 1-877-99-YUKON (98566) JASON HALE, Communications Director Funding is provided by the USFWS, pursuant to grant #701818G494, Phone: 907-272-3141 ext. 105 to support dissemination of information regarding the Yukon River Salmon Agreement Email: [email protected] and the management of Yukon River salmon. 2 Yukon Fisheries News Spring 2009 www.yukonsalmon.org a message from the Director by Jill Klein, Executive Director As I sit at my desk in Anchorage, I am responsible for the marine management are the elders and parents are not around anymore pleased with the nice spring we are having. not doing a good enough job to get the salmon to teach them. The weather is warm, the bugs are not out to return to the rivers, the people, and the I don’t have all the answers, but I know yet and the sky has been blue. As I look at habitats that depend on them. the people and communities along the Yukon pictures of flooding along the Yukon River, The Yukon River is such a mighty river that River have the strength to work in earnest on I know a very different it is able to provide sustenance for people and solutions to these questions. If we keep the end spring is taking place. The bring people together. People work together to images of people’s homes harvest the salmon. From fishing to processing Many factors affect the being destroyed by ice, to eating, salmon bring family and community people helping each other together. When there are not enough salmon resources we have come and their animals, people and not enough resources, the river acts like a to depend on and our reuniting after rescue, people sitting around great divider, breaking people apart like the ice the fire together—all of these images are real has done to the buildings in Eagle. ability to conserve our experiences for those who live in Eagle, along The Yukon River Drainage Fisheries use of them today. the Yukon River. Association (YRDFA) knows all too well the As I planned my weekend in Anchorage, challenges and successes of being divided and with images of flooding and destruction in my coming together. On the Yukon River, we are goal in mind, we may be able to start piecing mind, I thought about my daughter.