Federal Announcement: FSA-YD-25-01: Closures Starting June 1

Federal Announcement: FSA-YD-25-01: Closures Starting June 1

On May 12, 2025, the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge (YDNWR) Manager, Spencer Rearden, issued Temporary Special Action (TSA) FSA-YD-25-01. This TSA announces closures in federal waters of the Kuskokwim River (from the mouth of the river to Aniak) starting June 1, 2025. This allows our YDNWR-KRITFC team to evaluate the Chinook, chum, and coho salmon runs as they come in and prioritize rural subsistence fishing opportunities. 

Refuge Manager to Hold Public Hearing on Kuskokwim River Salmon Fishing Closure

Refuge Manager to Hold Public Hearing on Kuskokwim River Salmon Fishing Closure

 The Refuge Manager at the at Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge (YDNWR), in coordination with the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (KRITFC), proposes to close Federal public waters of the Kuskokwim River drainage to the harvest of Chinook, Chum, and Coho Salmon by all users starting June 1, 2025.

Kuskokwim Tribes Raised Voices for Chum Salmon Bycatch Protections at Latest North Pacific Fishery Management Council Meeting

Kuskokwim Tribes Raised Voices for Chum Salmon Bycatch Protections at Latest North Pacific Fishery Management Council Meeting

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council held a special chum salmon bycatch, primarily to review the preliminary draft Environmental Impact Statement (PDEIS or EIS) for new approaches to chum salmon bycatch management in the Bering Sea pollock trawl fishery, with a prioritization on reducing bycatch of Western Alaska chum salmon.