Cross border fishing issues heating up once again as salmon season moves ahead

In what is becoming an annual ritual, the reaction to decisions Ior in this case rumours of decisions) made when it comes to the catchment levels for salmon on the Pacific North Coast are providing for a bit of finger pointing from the Alaska side of the A-B line between Alaska and British Columbia, with some of that Alaskan discontent directed even farther south to Washington state and Oregon.

At the heart of the current anger, the latest developments from the Pacific Salmon Commission, with the fishing fleet of Southeast Alaska particularly upset at the catchment levels that they fear have been allocated for the King Salmon fishing season in the state, a fishery better known as the Chinook run in British Columbia.

Alaska Public radio has been following the issue over the last few months, their most recent report of July 2nd featured the reaction of fishermen in the Southeast area to levels of catchment that they believe have been set on the assumption of a low King Salmon abundance, something that the Alaska Department of Fish and Game believes is wrong.

The most recent report from KCAW/KRBD can be heard here.

Alaska believes that the model that is used by the commission is deeply flawed, with an Alaska
representative to the Salmon Commission stating that the state had been backed into a corner.

Migration pattern of Pacific salmon

The impasse between Alaska and the other partners in the Pacific Salmon Commission involves the estimates related to the return of salmon, with Alaska finding itself not on the same page as the Commissioners from British Columbia, Washington State and Oregon.

The Alaska Trollers Association believe that when the final quota amount is announced Alaska fishermen will be looking at almost a fifty percent reduction in their catch for this year, compared to last years numbers.

To this point there has been no information on the issue released through the Pacific Salmon Commission News Updates page, the listing of members of the Northern Boundary Technical committee can be found here.

The southeast Alaska salmon season opened on July 1st.

Local observers of the North coast salmon season are offering up concerns that the summer may bring a dire situation for local fisherman and fish plant workers, with the early indications somewhat troublesome.

More background on what the Pacific Salmon Commission is all about can be found here.

For more items related to the fishery on the North Coast see our archive page here.