The 2018 customary fishing season in the lower portion of the Kuskokwim is winding down for most fish camps.
While many families are waiting for the Silver Salmon (Coho) to arrive, the batches of Kings (Chinook), Chums and Reds (Sockeye) that were caught, cut, dried and smoked are either being put away for the winter, or are almost done and on the last few days in the smokehouse.
KYUK: Kuskokwim Fishermen Request Additional Fishing Hours For Kasigluk Following Recent Deaths
Friday's gillnet opening in the lower Kuskokwim River may not be the last one. The Kuskokwim River Salmon Management Working Group is recommending that the community of Kasigluk receive additional fishing hours this season after recent deaths limited the community’s ability to subsistence fish.
KYUK: With New Kuskokwim King Salmon Data Released, Bering Sea Bycatch Restrictions Come Under Review
New state data reveals that the number of king salmon returning to the Kuskokwim River has been inflated for decades. Now, the state is recommending that the body governing the Bering Sea pollock fishery adopt this new information. If it does, restrictions on the fleet’s bycatch of king salmon could tighten, and a long-voiced demand from Kuskokwim residents could be met.
Coffee@KYUK: Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and ONC Summer Youth Employment Program
Follow the link to listen to the chat hosted by PETRA HARPAK & S. GRADY DEATON.
Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Executive Director Mary Peltola and Employment, Training and Child Care Director Nicholai Joekay. Photo taken on May 30, 2018.
KYUK: Kuskokwim Tribes Urge Feds To Take Over Lower River To Block Incidental King Harvest
The number of king salmon predicted to return to the Kuskokwim River this year has taken a dramatic drop. Two tribal groups and one private citizen don’t think the state is doing enough to conserve the kings, and they’ve each submitted paperwork requesting that federal managers immediately take over the lower river to restrict fishing.
Kusko Fish News: May 3, 2018
The Kuskokwim River is ice-free at the headwaters and the ice is broken in Aniak. News of breakup is always exciting. With daylight shining so late into the night now, summer seems so close and it’s fun to think about the possibility of boat rides and fishing!
On Monday, May 7 and Tuesday, May 8, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on both days, the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission will be having its Annual Commissioner’s Meeting at the Cultural Center in Bethel.
Kusko Fish News: April 12, 2018
As the days grow longer, our thoughts naturally drift toward planning for salmon fishing this summer.
The summer of 2017 was unusually challenging with the extremely low water in the Kuskokwim watershed, and warm water temperatures in May and June. The king salmon run timing was the latest most of us have ever seen. And, the kings were running so deeply that their presence was difficult to detect. When the kings finally began showing up in real numbers, the chums and reds were already running, the best drying weather had already past, and the rainy days had set in.