king salmon

The Skipper Science Program is in its third year in Bristol Bay and fishing crews are taking notice. User numbers are up on the app in the fishery and this season, the citizen science initiative could be more consequential than ever. The goal is to find out where exactly King salmon are running, with the Nushagak King mapping project.

The board voted unanimously to adopt a plan that curbs fishing time when larger sockeye runs are forecast. The Nushagak River’s king salmon runs have declined sharply in recent years even as huge sockeye returns to the district have broken records.

The Board of Fisheries and members of the public discussed the state’s action plan to protect Nushagak kings on the second day of the statewide meeting Saturday. Many people who testified discussed how many sockeye should go unharvested in order to conserve the struggling king runs.

The statewide Board of Fisheries meeting is underway in Anchorage. The board will decide whether and how to change fishing regulations in Bristol Bay’s Nushagak District to protect its faltering king salmon runs.

The Nushagak’s commercial fishing district in Bristol Bay has one of the most prolific sockeye salmon runs in the world. But king salmon runs have dwindled. The local advisory committee is still deciding how to address the declines, and time is running out.

The Nushagak River’s king run on the west side of the fishery has been low for years, even as sockeye runs have hit record highs. The board's stock of concern designation for Nushagak kings could mean significant shifts in the fishery.

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