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Fish camps up and down the Kuskokwim River in Southwest Alaska remain unusually quiet and void of activity. But callers on a Bethel talk radio show had plenty to say about the failure of the king salmon run to appear.
Monday’s radio show on KYUK-AM came one day after a seven-day closure of subsistence fishing was extended for another five days.
“I depend on that salmon for my life and health,” said one caller, Elena Aluskak of Bethel. “It’s who we are. It’s who I am.”
Harry Jackson of Kwethluk worried out loud on the radio.
“This dry fish is what we rely on throughout the winter,” said Jackson. “I wonder how much a Cup of Noodles is going to cost, or what Top Ramen’s going to be. Food out of the store is not really what I depend on.”
Jackson also talked about the impact of high fuel costs on survival. Gasoline in Bethel recently went up to $6.70 a gallon.
Bev Hoffman, who is co-chair of the Kuskokwim River Salmon Management Working group, was a guest on the program.
Hoffman tried to convince two other guests on the program, a state and a federal wildlife manager, to consider a brief opening.
“I want to be a good steward of the river. I want to ensure that future generations get fish,” said Hoffman. “Just a small window of opportunity, I think we can still save the kings.”
But Bethel test fishery numbers this season have been among the lowest on record.
Travis Elison, the acting area biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, says the subsistence harvest on the Kuskokwim River averages about 75,000 kings a year, but in the last five years, escapement goals for the Kuskokwim River drainage have not been met.
“Escapement is important,” said Elison. “We need to make these escapement goals high. We need to make sure we achieve them.”
“It’s a very tough year for everybody, especially myself as a manager. The hardest part of any manager’s job is to restrict fishing,” said Elison.
Biologists are hoping that the king salmon run is late -- and when fish move into the river, subsistence harvests can resume. But as June slips away, so does the warm and sunny weather. July is typically a rainy month, that brings mold, flies and challenging conditions for drying fish.
Not all subsistence fishing is on hold. Fishers are allowed to catch other species, if they use gill nets with a mesh size of four inches or less -- and not longer than 60 feet.
The department hopes to loosen restrictions on kings once test fisheries demonstrate there are sufficient numbers to allow subsistence fishing to resume. Managers also hope to provide more opportunity for other species of salmon such as sockeyes, chums and cohos.
On Sunday, Myron Naneng, the head of the Association of Village Council Presidents, one of the largest tribal organizations in the state, requested a meeting with Governor Sean Parnell.
The governor’s office says it’s working to set a date.
Senate staffers for Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich say the two senators are watching the situation closely. Begich is scheduled to meet with Naneng later in the month.
State Fish and Game Commissioner Cora Campbell says more time is needed to see how the run progresses -- and then decide how much assistance is needed.
