KYUK: Kuskokwim River tribes focus on salmon conservation

By Associated Press 

BETHEL, Alaska (AP) - The tribal commission formed to co-manage the Lower Kuskokwim's fish has laid out an approach to protect the river's salmon.

KYUK-AM reports that the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, made up of the 33 tribes that live along the river, met Monday for its annual meeting.

Mary Peltola, the commission's executive director, said there is a consensus among the tribes that they need to rebuild the river's salmon stocks.

The commission voted down a resolution to allow 8-inch (20-centimeter) mesh gillnets on the river. The larger mesh would catch the larger fish, which carry more eggs.

Commission members want those fish to make it to the spawning grounds.