Advisory committee for Nushagak drainage stakeholders says no to permit stacking, free week, reduced transfer times, and the Wood River Special Harvest Area.
On day one of it's October meeting, the Nushagak Fish and Game Advisory Committee voiced its support for ending free periods for drift net fishermen, and keeping 48 transfer waiting periods in place. KDLG’s Dave Bendinger has more on the AC’s meeting through noon today:
During day two of its October meeting, the Nushagak AC finished addressing the rest of the proposals that will be considered at December’s Board of Fish meeting. In the day-long meeting, the committee came out against permit stacking, in support of repealing the Wood River Special Harvest Area, and in support of requiring Fish and Game to offer at least an hour of high water flood fishing for drifters. KDLG’s Dave Bendinger has more:
from The Bristol Bay Times - Dutch Harbor Fisherman:
Stakeholders weigh in on fishery changes
By Molly Dischner
Advisory Committees throughout Bristol Bay are meant to provide a local perspective on fish and game regulations that could impact communities. But at the Nushagak Advisory Committee meeting in Dillingham, it was clear that the community isn’t always of one mind when it comes to changes to the fisheries in the region.
The state Board of Fisheries discusses each fishery in the state on a three year cycle. This December, the seven- member board will meet in Anchorage to consider 70 proposals seeking to change one component or another of commercial, sport and subsistence fisheries in Bristol Bay.
The changes suggested by members of the public, advocacy groups, and even the Alaska Department of Fish and Game include how setnet sites are marked, where fishermen can use their nets, and when you have to declare the intent to fish in a specific district. Some would affect much of the bay; others come down to boundaries between a handful of fishermen.
The Nushagak committee spent a day and a half going through the proposals in mid-October, with much of their attention focused on proposals in the Nushagak District. Many of the changes were submitted by watershed residents, who were available in person or via teleconference to talk about their ideas.
The AC mostly agreed on some decisions, including unanimously supporting a change that would keep long-time Armstrong setnet sites inside the Kvichak section boundaries. And proposals addressing permit stacking were largely opposed by the committee, which some said disadvantages local fishermen.
But other issues were more contentious.
After more than an hour of discussion on a proposal by Dillingham’s Alannah Hurley to extend the limit for setnets at a handful of Clark’s Point setnet sites, the committee supported the idea, but not the method.
Hurley told the committee that the change could provide another hour or two of fishing for the sites, who have lengthy mudflats and have seen fishing time decrease as the flats have filled in recent years.
Ultimately, the committee said it supported the idea of helping fishermen whose sites changed over time, but wanted a solution that would benefit all the fishermen on the beach, not the smaller number. The committee directed stakeholders to come up with a compromise instead.
The committee voted 6 to 4 to support an amended proposal that would direct Fish and Game to open drift fishing at least an hour before high tide. That was proposed by drifter Robert Heyano, with language added that was intended to make it flexible enough to open the fishery at other times if new information allowed, although it was unclear if Fish and Game would be able to use that flexibility.
This summer, Nushagak drift openings typically started on the ebb tide. Area Management Biologist Tim Sands said he’s been opening the fishery that way for more than a decade.
“It seemed to make sense at the time, if we’re going to have shorter openings, to fish mostly around the ebb, so that fish could flood into the district, unmolested, spread out, and that would help with allocation,” Sands said.
By the end of the season, Sands said fishermen seemed to like the practice, in part because it enabled them to avoid line fishing.
But the committee ultimately sided with the fishermen who said they’d prefer to fish before the high tide. Although that passed, some fishermen expressed concerns that it could tie the hands of the management biologists.
Not every proposal from a local fisherman got a favorable reception at the meeting.
The committee opted not to support a proposal from a younger fisherman, Gregg Marxmiller, to remove the transfer time for setnetters wanting to move within the Nushagak District. That came down to an 8-4 vote.
The AC also decided not to support a proposal that would have reduced the waiting time for drifters wanting to switch districts.
The committee itself also submitted one of the proposals, which close the Wood River Special Harvest Area. The committee came out 6 to 5 in favor of the change after chair Frank Woods cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of the proposal.
Written public comments on the proposals up for discussion are due Nov. 19, to be included in a book for each board member. Members of the public can also attend the meeting and comment in person.
KDLG’s Dave Bendinger contributed to this story. Molly Dischner can be reached at mdischner@reportalaska.com.
