Fish Report: High water hampered counting projects
Norton Sound Salmon
Commercial Fishing: Cumulative catch is 1 king, 4,500 chums, 260,000 pinks, 300 sockeyes and 600 silvers.
The pink salmon commercial harvest was a record for an odd-numbered-year and the fifth highest in the 61-year history of the fishery.
The chum salmon run was weak for the second year in a row despite the good parent-year escapements in 2016 and 2017 and the commercial harvest was the lowest since 2005. Silvers are appearing in the commercial catch and have been passing the escapement counting projects and the department has shifted to silver salmon management.
High water has knocked out all salmon escapement projects. The crews at the floating weirs were able to count for several days after all the counting tower crews were no longer able to count, but extremely high and murky water has prevented any counts since last Friday.
Unalakleet Subdistrict
Commercial Fishing: Cumulative catch is 1 king, 400 chums, 166,000 pinks, 45 sockeyes and 400 silvers caught by 40 permit holders.
Subsistence Fishing: Net fishing is open 7 days a week with all kings required to be released when beach seining.
Unalakleet River Floating Weir – Cooperative project; Fish & Game, United States BLM and NSEDC. Major funding provided by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Office of Subsistence Management.
Cumulative counts through July 29 were 500 kings, 14,400 chums, 1,300 sockeyes and 1,700 silvers.
North River Tower – Camp J.B. Escapement goals: King 1,2002,600; Chum-No goal established; Pink 25,000; Silver 550-1,100 (aerial survey goal) – NSEDC project.
Cumulative counts through July 26 were 825 kings, 800 chums, 350,000 pinks, 6 sockeyes and 200 silvers. The usual first quarter point of silver passage is August 1.
Shaktoolik Subdistrict
Commercial Fishing: Cumulative catch is 450 chums, 63,000 pinks, 90 sockeyes and 175 silvers caught by 20 permit holders.
Subsistence Fishing: Net fishing is open 7 days a week with all kings required to be released when beach seining.
Shaktoolik Tower – No escapement goals yet established – NSEDC project.
Cumulative counts through July 26 were 933 kings, 9,000 chums, 700,000 pinks, 100 sockeyes and 600 silvers.
Norton Bay Subdistrict
Commercial Fishing: Cumulative catch is 23 chums, 10,000 pinks, 3 sockeyes and 8 silvers by 16 permit holders.
Subsistence Fishing: Net fishing is open 7 days a week.
Inglutalik River Tower – Cooperative project; NSEDC with assistance from Fish & Game.
Cumulative counts through July 26 were 250 kings, 3,100 chums, 200,000 pinks, 15 sockeyes and 9 silvers.
Ungalik River Tower – No escapement goals yet established – NSEDC project.
Cumulative counts through July 26 were 321 kings, 16,000 chums, 620,000 pinks, 4,400 sockeyes and 3 silvers.
Elim Subdistrict
Commercial Fishing: Cumulative catch is 300 chums, 6,000 pinks, 20 sockeyes and 35 silvers by 12 permit holders.
Subsistence Fishing: Open 7 days a week.
Kwiniuk River Tower – Camp Joel - Escapement goals: King 250;
Chum 9,100 – 32,600; Pink 8,400; Silver 650-1,300 (aerial survey goal). Fish & Game project.
Cumulative counts through July 27 were 219 kings, 3,700 chums, 62,000 pinks, 72 sockeyes and 430 silvers. The usual first quarter point of silver passage is August 10.
Golovin Subdistrict
Commercial Fishing: Cumulative catch is 3,250 chums, 11,000 pinks, 150 sockeyes and 35 silvers by 8 permit holders.
Subsistence Fishing: Open 7 days a week.
Nome Subdistrict
Commercial Fishing: Fishing started this week.
Subsistence Fishing: Net fishing schedule in all fresh water subsistence areas and the marine waters west of Cape Nome is from 6 p.m. Wednesday until 6 p.m. Monday. The marine waters are open 7 days a week east of Cape Nome.
Nome River Weir - Escapement goal: Chum 1,600 – 5,300; Pink 3,200 – Fish & Game project.
Cumulative counts through July 27 were 1 king, 220 chums, 4,500 pinks and 6 sockeyes. The usual 90 percent point of pink passage is August 7 and for chum passage is August 11. The usual first quarter point of silver passage is August 27.
Snake River Weir - Escapement goal: Chum 2,000 – 4,200 – NSEDC project.
Cumulative counts through July 27 were 1 king, 700 chums, 5,000 pinks and 60 sockeyes. The usual 90 percent point of chum passage is August 5 and for pink passage is August 10. The usual first quarter point of silver passage is August 27.
Port Clarence District
Subsistence fishing is open 7 days a week, except all net fishing is closed on the Pilgrim River.
Pilgrim River Floating Weir: Escapement goal: Sockeye 6,800 – 36,000 – NSEDC project.
Cumulative counts through July 28 were 11 kings, 1,600 chums, 700 pinks, 3,600 sockeyes and 5 silvers. The usual 90 percent point of sockeye passage is August 5.
Kotzebue
Cumulative catch is 23,000 chums by 35 permit holders. The run has been below average and the department has continued to limit commercial fishing time.
Kobuk River Test Fish - Fish & Game project.
The test fish cumulative catches are 39 chums and 140 sheefish. The crew has been unable to fish since Thursday because of very high water and logs floating downstream. The chum catch had been below average before the crew was flooded out.