Liberal management brings Deshka and Little Su closures — times 3!

On Tuesday August 19, 2025 the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) issued emergency orders closing the Deshka River and Little Susitna River sport coho salmon fisheries to the harvest of coho salmon for the third consecutive year. In both 2023 and 2024 all directed coho salmon fishing was closed by inseason emergency order, however, this year (2025) only coho retention (harvest) has been closed. Justification in the Deshka River emergency harvest closure stated, “As of August 18, only 831 coho salmon had passed upstream of the weir and the escapement is projected to be 1,126 fish. Therefore, it is warranted to conserve the remaining coho salmon returning to the Deshka River.”

Escapement Goal Management — Bedrock for Sustainable Salmon Fisheries?

As reported in last week’s column, ADF&G’s Deshka River coho salmon Sustainable Escapement Goal (SEG) is a range of 10,200 — 24,100 fish. The concept for listing the escapement goal as a range is for managers to shoot for the midpoint of the escapement range, and have some leeway to attain the goal on a consistent basis. This leads to some significant questions: #1. If ADF&G is projecting a Deshka River coho salmon escapement of 1,126 fish (less than one tenth of the goal range midpoint), and if, “Therfore it is warranted to conserve the remaining coho salmon returning to Deshka River,” why has ADF&G decided to allow Deshka River coho salmon catch and release sport fishing, which would likely reduce the Deshka River coho salmon escapement? #2. How does such management follow the principles outlined in 5 AAC 39.222 Policy for the Management of Sustainable Salmon Fisheries?

Little Susitna River Coho Closure ADF&G justification for closing coho salmon harvest at Little Susitna River is, “As of August 18, only 2,960 coho salmon had passed upstream of the weir and the escapement is projected to be 4,239 fish. Therefore, it is warranted to conserve the remaining coho salmon returning to the Little Susitna River.” ADF&G’s Little Susitna River coho salmon escapement projection of 4,239 fish (less than one third of the Little Susitna River Coho Salmon SEG 9,200 - 17,700 midpoint) raises the same concerns: #1. Why is ADF&G management aiming for a Little Susitna River coho salmon spawning escapement far below the ADF&G established goal range minimum threshold? #2 Doesn’t such ADF&G management contradict the principles of 5 AAC 39.222 Policy for the Management of Sustainable Salmon Fisheries? #3 How does ADF&G management of Little Susitna River and Deshka River coho salmon stocks meet the Constitutional directive for sustained yield management benefitting the residents of Alaska?

ADF&G’s Management Race for Stocks of Concern / Fishing Extinctions?

Mat-Su Valley anglers are well aware that ADF&G has already “Managed” all the wild king salmon sport fisheries in the entire Susitna River drainage and Little Susitna River to harvest extinctions, and for now the past two years to extinction of any directed king salmon sport fishing, whatsoever. Note: The Department has for decades classified Susitna River drainage as the fourth largest king salmon producing drainage in the entire State of Alaska. Even with this dramatic decline in Susitna River drainage and Little Susitna River king salmon production, however, the Department has still provided some declining sport harvest opportunity for Susitna River drainage and Little Susitna River coho salmon. Now with Deshka River and Little Susitna River coho salmon weir counts indicating that ADF&G may fail to reach ADF&G established coho salmon SEG ranges at both rivers for 3 years in a row, ADF&G management appears to have set a very competitive race as to whether Deshka River king or coho salmon stocks may finish first in qualifying for Stock of Management Concern status. Likewise, ADF&G has established a similar competitive race for Stock of Management Concern status between Little Susitna River king and coho salmon stocks.

Who knows, If ADF&G trainwreck management of Northern Cook Inlet salmon stocks continues for just one more year, perhaps the department can set a new record in unsustainable management — With all 4 of the economically most important Northern Cook Inlet sport salmon stocks, managed by ADF&G with inseason escapement monitoring, qualifying for Stock of Management Concern Status in the same year!

The Larger Concern for Northern Cook Inlet (and Mat-Su) Coho The Department has built its Upper Cook Inlet coho salmon management around the premises that Little Susitna River coho salmon are representative for all coho salmon stocks in the Knik Arm Management Area and that Deshka River coho salmon are representative for all Susitna River drainage coho salmon stocks. Therefore, inseason monitoring programs at Little Susitna River and Deshka River indicate there may also be severe shortages of coho salmon throughout the Knik Arm and Susitna River drainages. If ADF&G followed practices outlined in 5 AAC 39.222 (with lack of scientific data showing otherwise) conservative salmon management following the precautionary principle may require that coho shortages at Little Susitna River addressed by inseason management restrictions should also trigger inseason management restrictions for unmonitored Knik Arm systems. Likewise, Deshka River inseason coho management restrictions triggered by low coho abundances passing the weir may also be indicative of coho salmon abundance shortages needing to be addressed in other or all portions of the Susitna River drainage. During the 2025 season, in particular, ADF&G first restricted bait and coho harvest limits at both Little Susitna River and Deshka River, and now has totally closed coho salmon harvest at Little Susitna River and Deshka River with NO CHANGE in coho salmon regulations at any other Knik Arm , Susitna River drainage, or Turnagain Arm location. The danger in this form of management is that coho salmon spawning escapement levels in unmonitored systems could be driven down to even lower levels than those experienced at Little Susitna River and Deshka River. Killing the salmon that lay the golden eggs, could therefore have increasingly negative impacts for future wild coho salmon production throughout all or most Northern Cook Inlet drainages.

It is long past time for ADF&G managers (especially commercial —where most of the coho harvest has been recently occurring) to propose responsible management changes (restrictions) to ensure that Northern Cook coho salmon stocks and the fisheries that are most dependent on them are managed on a conservative and sustainable basis, and following the intent of Upper Cook Inlet salmon management plans and 5AAC 39.222 Policy for the Management of Sustainable Salmon Fisheries.

In hopes of a future with sustainable Northern Cook Inlet coho salmon fisheries,

Andy Couch guides Mat-Su salmon fishing charters https://fish4salmon.com/ , is a member of the Matanuska Valley Fish & Game Advisory Committee, and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission, however, statements / opinions in this column are his own, unless expressed otherwise.