Section 5 AAC 05.359 - Yukon River Pink Salmon Management Plan(a) The goal of this management plan is to provide for the management of directed commercial pink salmon fishing in the Yukon River. Pink salmon exhibit an odd-numbered year and even-numbered year cycle in the Yukon River, in which an even-numbered year experiences large returns of pink salmon. The management of directed commercial pink salmon fishing is complicated by overlapping runs of summer chum salmon and fall chum salmon stocks.(b) For the purpose of determining if there is a harvestable surplus of pink salmon under ( c) of this section, the department shall use the best available information to assess pink salmon abundance, including mainstem river sonar passage estimates, subsistence and commercial harvest reports, and estimates from escapement monitoring projects.(c) From June 15 through July 31, if the commissioner determines that there is a harvestable surplus of pink salmon sufficient to provide for pink salmon subsistence uses and other use; and chum salmon escapement goals are expected to be achieved, the commissioner may open, by emergency order, a directed commercial pink salmon fishery in District 1 during which only a gillnet that has a mesh of size four and three-quarter inches or less may be used.Eff. 5/22/2016, Register 218, July 2016Authority:AS 16.05.060
AS 16.05.251
AS 16.05.258