Impactful king salmon concerns

During the first week of February, 2025 I started writing about declining king salmon fisheries, king salmon harvests, and king salmon populations throughout Alaska. See frontiersman.com/sports/outdoors.

Emergency Order king salmon fishery regulations were expected to come out by that time, but were delayed a few days. The Alaska Department of FIsh and Game (ADF&G) has since issued sport fishing Emergency Regulation Changes for Cook Inlet, including 11 announcements for Upper Cook Inlet freshwaters and 1 announcement for saltwater in both Upper and Lower Cook Inlet. They can be accessed at ADF&G’s Emergency Orders and Press Releases Southcentral webpage. (See the online version for the link.)

The Susitna River Drainage Announcement closed king salmon fishing, closed the use of bait, require the use of one single hook artificial lure with a hook gap of 1/2 inch or less, and require that any king salmon incidentally caught while fishing for other species must be released immediately without removing it from the water from May 1 - July 13. These emergency regulations were based on the department’s 2025 Deshka River King Salmon Forecast ,and that not a single king salmon spawning escapement goal was reached for the entire Susitna River Drainage during the 2024 season. It should be noted that Deshka River weir data is considered to be the best king salmon information available for the Susitna River drainage, as weir counts are considerable more accurate and complete than foot or Ariel index surveys and the Deshka weir data has been collected for a 30-year period of time.

AGE / SEX / Length (ASL) Concerns

I had a discussion with ADF&G biometrician, Nick DeCovich, about how many female king salmon may have returned to Deshka River during the 2024 season based on the department’s ASL. data from fish sampled passing through Deshka River weir last year. I started by asking how long the sampled 4-year old king salmon returning to Deshka were last year. Nick’s reply was that the mean size was about 26 inches (eye to fork of tail measurement typically used by ADF&G). In a king salmon that small, would any be expected to be females? Not Likely. How many 5 and 6 year old fish (based on weir samples) returned to Deshka River in 2024? Less than 700. For consideration, a few of those smaller 4-year-old fish may have been females, however, a substantial amount of the returning 5 and 6-year-old king salmon were likely males.

Therefore, I conclude that out of a measured weir escapement of 3,445 Deshka River king salmon in 2024, likely less than 700 of those fish were females. Considering that the department’s Deshka River Chinook Salmon Escapement Goal calls for 9,000 — 18,000 fish per year — only a maximum of approximately 700 females in 2024 appears particularly weak. Declining ASL rates have been a concern throughout Alaska king salmon populations starting back more than 15 years ago, and ADF&G has started managing several king salmon stocks based on spawning escapement goals for fish 28 inches or larger in length. There have been public proposals to the Alaska Board of Fisheries requesting that Deshka River and Little Susitna River king salmon be managed in the same fashion, but so far the department has resisted this change. Perhaps the change should be made soon, before Deshka and Little Susitna River king salmon stocks decline to the point they may be designated threatened or endangered.

Implications of a Gulf of Alaska Chinook ESA Listing

A threatened or endangered ESA-listing transfers the management of the listed units and their critical habitats from the State to the federal government. An ESA listing, in essence, means that National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) believes state management is insufficient to protect the stocks from going extinct.

ESA listing of Chinook salmon will significantly harm subsistence, commercial, and recreational fisheries, causing cultural and economic harm. The listing of an ESU will move management of that ESU from state control to federal control with restrictions that could span from fishery reductions to no harvest at all. Any fishery with incidental catch of that Chinook ESU would also be impacted.

Listing means that “critical habitat” for Chinook salmon will be designated, which could encompass a broad swath of freshwater and marine areas. Along with ESA-required consultations and permits, this will add regulatory hurdles for any activities that may affect salmon. Development in watersheds designated as critical habitat would be greatly restricted and require considerable regulatory review. This implications section taken directly from ADF&G status review.

Risky Fishery Management Exposes Alaska to “Implications”

The long documented decline of major Alaska king salmon stocks, combined with little change to massive Private Non Profit (PNP) hatchery releases that may be replacing wild king salmon and pollock trawl fishing in state waters (which some believe may seriously impact marine king salmon production) appears to unduly risk the State’s dependence on natural use and resource development. Economics are at risk in a state that is quickly running short of money. What move would be best for the greater good of the State of Alaska?

Good Luck and Fish On!

Andy Couch is currently vice chair of the Matanuska - Susitna Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission and a Matanuska Valley Fish and Game Advisory Committee member, however, unless otherwise noted, the positions expressed in this column are his own.