Section 5 AAC 06.391 - Nushagak District King Salmon Stock of Concern Management Plan(a) The purpose of this management plan is to provide management tools and guidelines to the department for the management of Nushagak District salmon fisheries, while Nushagak River king salmon are listed as a stock of management concern, which will result in the sustained yield of king salmon stocks large enough to meet sustainable escapement goals, while allowing for harvest opportunity in the subsistence, sport, and commercial fisheries.(b) While the Nushagak River king salmon are listed as a stock of management concern, it is the intent of the board that all Nushagak District salmon stocks are managed conservatively through June 28 to protect Nushagak River king salmon, consistent with 5 AAC 39.222 (policy for the management of sustainable salmon fisheries).(c) The department shall manage commercial fisheries in the Nushagak District as follows: (1) to achieve an inriver run goal of 95,000 king salmon in the Nushagak River consistent with the Nushagak-Mulchatna King Salmon Management Plan as described in 5 AAC 06.361(b)(1). (2) when the Wood River sockeye salmon forecast or in season projection is less than 5,000,000 fish the department shall manage for the current sustainable escapement goal (SEG) of 700,000 to 1,800,000 fish;(3) when the Wood River sockeye salmon forecast or inseason assessment of run size is greater than five million fish the department shall manage to achieve a Wood River sockeye salmon optimal escapement goal (OEG) of 700,000 fish to an upper bound that is up to 15 percent of the Wood River run size above the 1,800,000 fish upper bound of the SEG, based on the preseason forecast and in season assessment of run size;(4) when the Nushagak River sockeye salmon forecast or inseason projection is less than 2,500,000 fish, the department shall manage for the current SEG of 370,000 to 900,000 fish;(5) when the Nushagak River sockeye salmon forecast or inseason assessment of run size is greater than 2,500,000 fish the department shall manage to achieve a Nushagak River sockeye salmon OEG of 370,000 fish to an upper bound that is up to 15 percent of the Nushagak run size above the 900,000 fish upper bound of the SEG, based on the preseason forecast and in season assessment of run size.(d) Before 9:00 a.m. June 28, if the Nushagak king salmon inriver run size is projected to be less than 95,000 fish, the commissioner shall close, by emergency order, the sockeye salmon commercial drift gillnet fishery in the Nushagak District, and the sockeye salmon commercial set net fishery in the Nushagak Section of the Nushagak District until (1) the sockeye salmon sonar estimate in the Nushagak River is projected to exceed six percent of the Nushagak River sockeye salmon run based on the Nushagak River sockeye salmon preseason forecast and inseason assessment of run size; or(2)the sockeye salmon count past the Wood River counting tower is projected to exceed 10 percent of the Wood River sockeye salmon run size based on the Wood River sockeye salmon preseason forecast and inseason assessment of run size.(e) The department shall manage the sport fishery in the Nushagak River drainage, excluding the Wood River drainage, as follows:(1) the annual limit for king salmon 20 inches or greater in length is four fish, of which only one fish may be 28 inches or greater in length;(2) if the total inriver king salmon run return in the Nushagak River is projected to exceed 95,000 fish, the commissioner may, by emergency order, increase the annual limit for king salmon to four king salmon, 20 inches or greater in length, with no restrictions for fish over 28 inches in length.(f) Subsistence fisheries will be managed in accordance with the rest of this title.Eff. 6/25/2023, Register 246, July 2023Authority:AS 16.05.060
AS 16.05.251