Pursuant to authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge (YDNWR) In-Season Manager, hereby announces five gillnet fishing opportunities within the YDNWR boundary in the Kuskokwim River mainstem for Federally qualified subsistence users only.
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.
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.
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council will next discuss chum salmon bycatch at a special meeting in February 2025. Here is what you need to know to engage.
Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge
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.
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.
The Fisheries Management staff 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, 2023. Harvest opportunities for Federally qualified subsistence users may be announced during this closure. The public is encouraged to provide comments to the Federal Manager on the proposed closure.
On Tuesday, August 16, the Federal In-Season Manager at Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge issued the following letter to the Federal Subsistence Board explaining Yukon Delta NWR and KRITFC’s response to the State’s management action closing subsistence fishing for coho salmon throughout the Kuskokwim River drainage.
After consultation and consensus with KRITFC’s In-Season Managers, the Yukon Delta NWR Federal In-Season Manager announced the following subsistence fishing opportunities via emergency special action (ESA) 3-KS-05-22. Ultimately, our goal is balancing salmon conservation for future generations with our current needs for fish.
This year, we need to fish with future generations of Kuskokwim communities in mind because the time to protect king salmon and our fishing ways of life is now. This is the mindset that the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge are bringing to Federal fisheries management this season.
