How you fish on the Kuskokwim River depends on where you are. According to local fishermen, how you fish near Upper and Lower Kalskag is unlike anywhere else on the river. Fishermen in these communities claim that their unique situation requires unique fishing regulations and are meeting with tribal, federal, and state managers Tuesday, June 19 to negotiate a solution.
KYUK: With New Kuskokwim King Salmon Data Released, Bering Sea Bycatch Restrictions Come Under Review
New state data reveals that the number of king salmon returning to the Kuskokwim River has been inflated for decades. Now, the state is recommending that the body governing the Bering Sea pollock fishery adopt this new information. If it does, restrictions on the fleet’s bycatch of king salmon could tighten, and a long-voiced demand from Kuskokwim residents could be met.
Coffee@KYUK: Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and ONC Summer Youth Employment Program
Follow the link to listen to the chat hosted by PETRA HARPAK & S. GRADY DEATON.
Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Executive Director Mary Peltola and Employment, Training and Child Care Director Nicholai Joekay. Photo taken on May 30, 2018.
KYUK: Kuskokwim Tribes Urge Feds To Take Over Lower River To Block Incidental King Harvest
The number of king salmon predicted to return to the Kuskokwim River this year has taken a dramatic drop. Two tribal groups and one private citizen don’t think the state is doing enough to conserve the kings, and they’ve each submitted paperwork requesting that federal managers immediately take over the lower river to restrict fishing.
KYUK: Once Again, Fishing On Lower Kuskokwim Will Be Federalized
The village of Akiak’s proposal to move federal management of the lower Kuskokwim River to earlier in the season failed to get the nod from the Federal Subsistence Board on Wednesday. With even fewer kings expected up the river this summer, the Board has assured that co-management on the lower Kuskokwim will proceed much as it has in prior years and turned down Akiak’s plan to start federal management in May.
KYUK: Kuskokwim River tribes focus on salmon conservation
BETHEL, Alaska (AP) - The tribal commission formed to co-manage the Lower Kuskokwim's fish has laid out an approach to protect the river's salmon.
KYUK-AM reports that the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, made up of the 33 tribes that live along the river, met Monday for its annual meeting.
Mary Peltola, the commission's executive director, said there is a consensus among the tribes that they need to rebuild the river's salmon stocks.
SEATTLE TIMES: Kuskokwim River tribes vote down nets to catch larger salmon
BETHEL, Alaska (AP) — The tribal commission formed to co-manage the Lower Kuskokwim’s fish has laid out an approach to protect the river’s salmon, voting down a resolution to allow larger nets that would catch bigger fish.
YourAlaskaLink.com: Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Holds Annual Forum, Bethel
Anchorage, AK – Almost every village situated along the Kuskokwim River ventured to Bethel during breakup season this week, to participate in this year’s Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, to examine how to protect its fish population.
Thirty-three tribes reside along the Kuskokwim River and share its fish, who formed the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission four years ago.
KYUK: Kuskokwim Tribes Commit To King Salmon Conservation This Summer
On the Kuskokwim River, it’s not an easy decision to travel during breakup. There are chores to be done to prepare for summer, and flooding is a constant risk that keeps people close to their homes, standing guard. But on Monday and Tuesday, a group traveled to Bethel from nearly every village along the river to discuss how to protect the fish that swim by.
Thirty-three tribes live along the Kuskokwim and share all the fish within it. Four years ago, the tribes came together to form the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. It was a historic agreement that allowed tribes to co-manage the Lower Kuskokwim salmon under federal jurisdiction alongside federal managers at the the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
KYUK: Discussion Begins On Guidelines For Producing More Kuskokwim Fish Through Hatcheries
With king salmon runs declining on the Kuskokwim River, at least one village has expressed interest in developing a hatchery. But without a government-recognized plan, the Kuskokwim can’t develop such a resource. A group is gathering to change that and has begun the long process of creating what’s called a "salmon production plan."
Such a plan would not deal with salmon management, but instead would lay out guidelines for producing more fish through hatchery projects. Such production plans were developed in most regions of the state in the 1970s and 80s, as depressed fish harvests increased interest in hatcheries among commercial fishermen. But the Kuskokwim never had much commercial fishing or this interest.