Alaska News

Emergency fishing orders: Anchor River closure

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has announced an emergency closure for Anchor River sport fishing in hopes of reaching escapement goals.

From the ADF&G release:

The Anchor River will close to sport fishing beginning on Wednesday, June 15 at12:01 a.m. through Thursday, June 30 at 11:59 p.m. to protect king salmon returning to the river.

The Anchor River escapement of king salmon through June 12, 2011, was 1,405 fish. At this time we are unable to predict with certainty that the Anchor River king salmon escapement will attain the sustainable escapement goal (SEG) of 3,800–10,000 king salmon. The 2011 escapement is below the 2010 escapement of 2,415 king salmon for this date and is well below the 2004-2010 escapement average of 4,906 king salmon for this date. From 2004-2010, 23 percent to 75 percent of the Anchor River king salmon escapement was upstream of the salmon weir by June 12. The projected escapement for 2011, based on variable run timing and escapement levels from 2004- 2010 and escapement observed through June 12, 2011, is between 1,900 and 6,100 fish. Unless this year's king salmon run is late in returning similar to the run experienced in 2009, it is unlikely that the escapement goal will be achieved.

The department will continue to monitor king salmon escapement in the Anchor River as the run develops and determine whether additional management actions will be necessary to achieve the escapement goal.

This announcement follows a previous order restricting the use of bait on Anchor River. Those restrictions are still in effect in the other affected areas.

Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

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