Nushagak District fishermen have taken over 150,000 fish. North Peninsula fishermen in the Chigniks are seeing record low escapements. Not only are they not fishing commercially, but some residents are even voluntarily limiting their subsistence activities.
The first daily run summary is in. The total commercial harvest in Bristol Bay stood at 156,156 salmon through Wednesday. The vast majority of those were taken in the Nushagak District — 141,815 fish.
Not all fisheries in the area are doing so well, however. In the North Peninsula, the Chigniks are seeing the lowest escapement on record. The Federal Subsistence Board issued an emergency special action on Thursday to close federal public waters of the Chignik River drainage to everyone but qualified federal subsistence users with a Social and Cultural Harvest Permit. Even with that concession, some locals have decided to forgo subsistence fishing for now in an effort to protect what salmon are returning to the area.
Also on tonight’s show, a story about an unusual hiring event at the Bristol Bay Fish Expo — speed hiring.
Catch this program nightly at 6 p.m., 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. on AM 670, and online at KDLG.org. (With early broadcasts Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.)
Letters from home to your friends and family in the Bay this summer? Email us at avery@kdlg.org, or call 907-842-5281.
Have feedback, suggestions of something you'd like to hear? Reach Avery Lill / Izzy Ross / Austin Fast / or Mitch Borden (in Naknek).
