A federal judge has settled a dispute that began in 2021, when the Dunleavy administration tried to expand salmon fishing opportunities beyond those offered by the federal government.
Thank you for your continuing reports on these fishing issues that are literally vital to so many people in Alaska. I was an employee of the ADF&G for all 20 years of the operation of Clear Hatchery, where we successfully proved that with care and respect for the resource, a hatchery could be used as one tool to ensure that king, chum, and silver salmon will continue to be available to future generations of Alaskans in the entire Yukon drainage. The Canadian hatchery at Whitehorse should be supported on our side of the border with this proven tool. My respect for the incredible vision and sacrifice of Alaskan Native and other subsistence users of Yukon salmon in pulling their nets and fish wheels is boundless, and I am an advocate of reciprocating this generational wisdom by reopening Clear to add one small and long term tool as part of the solution to rebuilding the Yukon salmon runs.
What a situation, pitting Tribal members against each other and outright discriminating. An example: my brother lives on the Yukon River and I now live on the road system (medical reasons). We both grew up at out subsistence camp in Sunshine Bay (tributary to Lamont’s Slough on the Lower Yukon River). We both are Tribal members of our respective tribes on the Yukon. One of us can subsist for salmon while one of us cannot, and if I do… I’ll become a criminal for putting my salmon net out and harvesting salmon to subsist on over the winter. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Wardens would penalize me for violating a Federal ruling. Our state needs full control over ALL fishing in navigable waters in Alaska and not the Federal government! Good day!
It is sad that Alaska's right to control our Fish and Game regulations have been usurped by the Feds. I've been dealing with this since ANILCA first passed. We lived in the Wrangells, but not in a (federally) approved subsistence community, once we moved further out from McCarthy. The obvious irony is Feds trying to define subsistence residents as only those living in their defined subsistence communities. Because we lived outside of that zone, we had lesser status. When we went to Chitina to catch our salmon, the NPS guy said he needed to see our utility bill (!) or something similar to qualify under federal subsistence rules. Of course! We didn't want to buy in to the federal fishing rules anyway, as we felt Feds were acting outside of AK's right to regulate F&G, but many folks did apply with the feds. Fed rules were you could sell your subsistence salmon for $5. each!!! Now that's responsible conservation.
Thank you for your continuing reports on these fishing issues that are literally vital to so many people in Alaska. I was an employee of the ADF&G for all 20 years of the operation of Clear Hatchery, where we successfully proved that with care and respect for the resource, a hatchery could be used as one tool to ensure that king, chum, and silver salmon will continue to be available to future generations of Alaskans in the entire Yukon drainage. The Canadian hatchery at Whitehorse should be supported on our side of the border with this proven tool. My respect for the incredible vision and sacrifice of Alaskan Native and other subsistence users of Yukon salmon in pulling their nets and fish wheels is boundless, and I am an advocate of reciprocating this generational wisdom by reopening Clear to add one small and long term tool as part of the solution to rebuilding the Yukon salmon runs.
What a situation, pitting Tribal members against each other and outright discriminating. An example: my brother lives on the Yukon River and I now live on the road system (medical reasons). We both grew up at out subsistence camp in Sunshine Bay (tributary to Lamont’s Slough on the Lower Yukon River). We both are Tribal members of our respective tribes on the Yukon. One of us can subsist for salmon while one of us cannot, and if I do… I’ll become a criminal for putting my salmon net out and harvesting salmon to subsist on over the winter. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Wardens would penalize me for violating a Federal ruling. Our state needs full control over ALL fishing in navigable waters in Alaska and not the Federal government! Good day!
It is sad that Alaska's right to control our Fish and Game regulations have been usurped by the Feds. I've been dealing with this since ANILCA first passed. We lived in the Wrangells, but not in a (federally) approved subsistence community, once we moved further out from McCarthy. The obvious irony is Feds trying to define subsistence residents as only those living in their defined subsistence communities. Because we lived outside of that zone, we had lesser status. When we went to Chitina to catch our salmon, the NPS guy said he needed to see our utility bill (!) or something similar to qualify under federal subsistence rules. Of course! We didn't want to buy in to the federal fishing rules anyway, as we felt Feds were acting outside of AK's right to regulate F&G, but many folks did apply with the feds. Fed rules were you could sell your subsistence salmon for $5. each!!! Now that's responsible conservation.