Speak Up For Salmon: February 2026
Photo by Terese Vicente/KRITFC.
Overview of salmon bycatch and intercept through 2024, from KRITFC’s 2024 End-of-Season Summary. Click the photo to enlarge.
In February 2026, both the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) and Alaska Board of Fisheries (BOF) will be discussing the management of salmon bycatch and intercept in marine fisheries. Here’s what you need to know.
NPFMC: Bering Sea Chum Salmon Bycatch Management – FINAL ACTION – February 2-11, 2026
Areas in the North Pacific region, from NPFMC. Click the map to enlarge.
The NPFMC manages federal fisheries 3–200 nautical miles from the Alaska coast. It has three main bodies: a Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), an Advisory Panel (AP), and the Council. The Council has 11 voting seats, 6 of whom are nominated by the State of Alaska, and none of which specifically represent Alaska Native Tribes.
Over the past several years, the NPFMC has been reevaluating management of chum salmon bycatch in the Eastern Bering Sea pollock trawl fishery’s B-Season. This fishery––the largest fishery in the U.S. by volume––is responsible for 99% of all chum salmon bycatch that occurs in the Bering Sea. Most chum salmon bycatch occurs in the B-Season, which runs each year from June 10 to November 1. On average, about 12-20% of the annual Bering Sea chum salmon bycatch comes from Western and Interior Alaska rivers, including the Kuskokwim, and there is currently no cap on the number of chum salmon that can be caught as bycatch.
State of Bering Sea chum salmon bycatch, produced by Oceana in 2025.
This month, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS, or NOAA Fisheries) posted the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Chum Salmon Bycatch Management. KRITFC, as well as the Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) and Alaska Department of Fish & Game, have been cooperating agencies in the development of this EIS analysis. The NPFMC is planning to take Final Action on the alternatives presented in this Draft EIS from February 2-11, 2026, in Anchorage. This is a critical opportunity for Tribes and the public to advocate for reducing chum salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea.
You can engage by:
Submitting a written comment to on the Draft EIS to NOAA Fisheries by January 5, 2026. Info here.
Submitting a written comment on the Draft EIS, and/or recommendations for the NPFMC’s Final Action, to the NPFMC by January 30, 2026.
Requesting Tribal Consultation with NOAA Fisheries between now and February (Tribal governments, ANCs, and authorized consortia only).
Attending and testifying at the NPFMC meeting in Anchorage or virtually.
Documents and more information:
Full Draft EIS available here.
Executive Summary of the Draft EIS available here.
Fall 2025 Presentation to the Regional Advisory Councils (RACs) is forthcoming. KRITFC and TCC will be presenting about the alternatives and their potential impacts at the following RACs. Tune in to learn more. A copy of our presentation will be made available soon.
Western Interior RAC: October 7-8, 2025 in McGrath or via teleconference
Eastern Interior RAC: October 8-10, 2025 in Tok or via teleconference
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta RAC: October 21-23, 2025 in Bethel or via teleconference
Info about the NPFMC process:
BOF: Area M Salmon Intercept – PROPOSED REGULATORY CHANGES – February 18-24, 2026
Map of the Alaska Peninsula Management Area, including the Area M areas (Unimak District and Shumagin Islands), from Fox et al. 2021. Click the map to enlarge.
The BOF develops regulations for all state fisheries, both inland and from the coast to 3 nautical miles offshore. These regulations are carried out by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game. There are 7 members on the BOF, nominated by the Governor and approved by the State Legislature. Currently, three are Alaska Native (though not representing Tribes): Curt Chamberlain from Aniak, Märit Carlson-van Dort from Chignik, and Olivia Henaayee Irwin from Nenana.
One of the fisheries the BOF develops regulations for is the South Alaska Peninsula, or Area M, purse seine, drift gillnet, and set gillnet fisheries. These fisheries intercept migrating chum and Chinook salmon from Western and Interior Alaska rivers (including the Kuskokwim), particularly during the month of June. Different genetic studies have shown between 18–57%, and most recently 28%, of chum salmon caught in June are from Western and Interior Alaska. Approximately 20.5% of Chinook salmon landed in the Area M fishery throughout the summer are from Western and Interior Alaska.
From February 18-24, 2026, the BOF will be discussing proposed regulatory changes to the Area M fishery, which would be in effect from 2026-2028 per the BOF’s three-year cycle. Proposals submitted in April 2025 were posted this month. There are several proposals that aim to reduce opener periods and/or extend closures between openers in the Area M fishery to create a migratory corridor for Western and Interior Alaska salmon. This is a critical opportunity for Tribes and the public to advocate for safe passage of Western and Interior Alaska salmon through the Area M fishery.
You can engage by:
Submitting a written comment to the BOF by February 3, 2026.
Requesting a meeting with BOF members or the Commissioner of Fish & Game.
Attending and testifying at the BOF meeting in Anchorage. Virtual testimony is not supported at this time.
Documents and more information:
All Alaska Peninsula / Aleutian Island / Chignik Finfish proposals here.
Proposals 126-137, specific to the Area M June fishery management plan, here.
February 18-24, 2026 BOF Meeting Page
Info about the BOF process:
Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP) guidebook here.
BOF process one-pager
KRITFC is committed to keeping Kuskokwim Tribes and residents informed about these actions. For questions, more information, help with comment letters or testimony, or to request printed copies of any of these documents, please contact Terese Vicente, Policy & Programs Director, at terese@kritfc.org or 907-545-7388.
More information will be added to this page as it becomes available. Last updated 9/25/25.