Press Statement: Alaska Board of Fisheries Takes First Steps to Place Protections on a Migratory Salmon Corridor in Area M
ANCHORAGE, AK | On Wednesday, the Alaska Board of Fisheries, in a 4-3 vote, adopted amended language for Proposal 127 to alter the South Alaska Peninsula – or Area M – June commercial salmon fishery management plan to allow the Alaska Department of Fish & Game to issue up to three 24-hour openers per week for drift gillnet and purse seine vessels between June 10 and June 28. The new plan, which will take effect in 2026, reduces fishing time for these vessels by about 39% and 30%, respectively, from the 2023-2025 plan. It also removes the chum salmon triggers for seine fleet closures adopted in 2023.
While not the sweeping action with extensive fishing closures that Western and Interior Alaska Tribal organizations had been asking for, our organizations hope this action will provide more levels of protection for migrating salmon than the status quo plan.
The suite of proposals originally supported by the Tribal organizations would have closed the Area M commercial salmon fishery for 10 days up to the entire month of June to remove nets from the water during the peak passage of declined Western Alaska salmon stocks.
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About:
Association of Village Council Presidents: Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP) is a regional non-profit tribal consortium comprising 56 federally recognized tribes of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. AVCP’s region is approximately 55,000 square miles, with a population of 27,000 residing in 48 communities along the Yukon River, Kuskokwim River, and Bering Sea coast. The residents of the region are primarily Yup’ik, Cup’ik, and Athabascan. AVCP is dedicated to supporting the interests of its member tribes, including through community development, education, social services, culturally relevant programs, and advocacy. AVCP promotes self-determination and protection and enhancement of cultural and traditional values. As part of its mission, AVCP has long been committed to advocating for the protection of the Bering Sea and its resources.
