The summer subsistence fishing season is fast approaching in the Norton Sound region. The area’s Alaska Department of Fish and Game Management Biologist, Kevin Clark, said fishing households can expect a good season for king and sockeye salmon on the popular Pilgrim River.
But Clark cautioned that the department’s forecast — and limits — could change.
“If we are confident that escapement goals are going to be obtained, we can also liberalize to allow more fishing and more harvest,” Clark said.
Escapement, or the number of fish that need to make it upstream to spawn, is a key number used by the department to set subsistence fishing limits.
The Pilgrim River district has an initial limit of three kings and 25 sockeye salmon per household, but Clark said the department may allow people to pack even more fish in their freezers if enough salmon return.
Up north in the Port Clarence district the department hasn’t set household limits, while last year saw some restrictions. Clark said those restrictions were fully lifted by July 15 in both the Port Clarence and Pilgrim River districts because of an abundant run of salmon.
“The escapement data that we were getting from the Pilgrim River, indicated that we were going to achieve all our escapement objectives, even with the additional harvest,” Clark said.
Across the Norton Sound region Clark expects this year’s run to be similar. But he said the region’s three weaker seasons before that is prompting the department to play it safe.
“But until we actually get some numbers indicating that that is a prudent decision we’ll hold off on doing that until that time,” Clark said.
Starting Sunday marine waters east of Cape Nome will be open for salmon gillnet fishing seven days a week, while all freshwater and marine waters west of Cape Nome will be open for gillnet fishing from 6 p.m. Wednesday until 6 p.m. Monday each week.
The initial regulations go into effect this Sunday. Subsistence salmon permits are free and available online to any Alaska resident. If you plan to sell any of your catch, even just to neighbors, Clark said you’ll need the appropriate permit.
