King salmon populations of wild kings are declining all over in the North Pacific Ocean and Alaska. Outside of Alaska there are some who are trying to protect the fish by restricting fisherman who are sport fishermen to only kings caught in hatcheries. This is being considered as a possible option in Southeast Alaska, too, but it’s received the coldest reception thus far.
British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon make use of mark-selective fishing to save wild king salmon, also known as Chinook. Anglers can keep only hatchery kings who have had their fins clipped. This is an exercise that is done in hatcheries before juvenile catch is released.
“It’s all about trying to evaluate a different strategy,” said Judy Lum who is an Alaska Department of Fish and Games’ supervisor of fishing for sport throughout Southeast Alaska. “So it was “Okay, so they’re doing it in Alaska. Does it work for us? If it is able to be of help in which situations? What are the conditions? Or is it a broad brush? Do you need to be precise?”
Lum insists that they are just examining the possibilities. They don’t know whether an angling mark-selective program would help or harm the stocks of king salmon or if the benefits are worth the potential cost.
“We have all the equipments in the tools we have which is a reference to the management of our company,” said Lum. “And this is just another tool in our toolbox.”
The idea was brought up by the Pacific Salmon Commission. It is the governing organization composed of U.S. and Canadian governments that oversees the fairness of management of salmon across both countries. Alaskans who are part of the commission requested for the Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game to think about the possibility of a mark-selective fishing program in Southeast. The department partnered together with University of Washington to do the research using grant funds.
However, Alaskans haven’t been receptive to the idea. The state has hosted public meetings on community engagement held in Juneau, Ketchikan, Klawock and Sitka. Additionally, Lum states that they’ve received numerous complaints.
Derek Anderson attended the meeting in Klawock.
“A large number of people are unhappy,” he said.
Anderson along with his partner operate an establishment for fishing at Craig located on Prince of Wales Island. The meeting, he says, was a standing room-only affair with a lot of emotionscommercial, subsistence and sports enthusiasts came together.
“The principal voice was that there is”no, this is not a suitable programme to broadcast in Southeast Alaska, in any shape, manner or form,” the reporter said.
Anderson states that they’d rather maintain the way things are, and to fish within limits on harvest that have recently been as low as a couple of fish each day for residents, and between two and three fish each year for residents who don’t live there. He believes that targeting only hatchery kings will hurt more fish.
“There’s simply not enough of the hatchery fish that are in our water to make this whole thing work,” Anderson said. “If you’re forced to go fishing for hours and hours to find hatchery fish and returning the wild salmon after the wild salmon the majority of these fish die.”
Fishermen from Sitka experienced the same. There were around three dozen people who participated in the gathering which included 74-year-old Eric Jordan. Eric Jordan is a long-time troller and claims that everyone was friendly and respectful, but nobody wanted to attend the event.
“I believe that there were a fair amount doubt from the audience as to whether this could be a good method to get here,” said Jordan.
Jordan is self-described a conservationist. He has been involved in policy on fish for many years from local advisory councils on fish up to the State Board of Fish. He believes that in order in order for the program to be successful it will need to tackle the negative effects of catch and release.
“In the salty seas in Southeast Alaska, you’re going need to modify the rules to limit the risk of dying,” he said.
The number of kings in Southeast are wild or came from hatcheries is dependent on the location. It’s difficult because the majority of the Kingfish (63 percent) originate from areas outside Alaska including in hatchery and wild stocksbut the hatchery fish that are not identified.
Lum of Fish and Game, says incidental bycatch is another major issue to the State. The introduction of a mark-selective sports fishing operation would be a long procedure that requires an enormous amount of money to buy-in.
It isn’t clear suggesting that the program has been working in other areas. Mark-selective fisheries have been operating for the past 20 years at certain places in Washington. But is it effective? The jury is still deliberating According to Anne Beaudreau. She is an associate professor of the University of Washington conducting the study of the state.
“There’s so many aspects to that.” she explained. ” And it’s been an extremely difficult to solve.”
She suggests that an angling sport that uses mark-selective techniques may or might not be successful in Alaska.
“Mark-selective fisheries aren’t a universal method,” said Beaudreau. “The manner in which they’ve been implemented, as well as the method in which they’ve been managed have been different depending upon the region in which they’ve occurred.”
The study’s results should be complete in the spring of next year.
Another chance to Southeast Alaskans to learn about the study and provide feedback on it is scheduled for Wednesday, October. 4, at 7 p.m.
Here is information on the study and meeting. conducting the research.
Here’s the hyperlink for the video of the meeting.
