Commercial salmon trollers in Southeast Alaska are tied up to the dock this month after a shortened winter season, closed early because of conservation concerns for king salmon stocks. They’ll be getting only a limited shot at fishing around hatchery king runs this spring and are feeling the impact of fishing restrictions.
The winter season shut down March 15, following January’s decision by the state’s board of fisheries to implement action plans to protect king salmon returning to rivers that flow into Southeast Alaska.
“Previous years in which we closed prior to April 30 were due to achieving the GHL (guideline harvest level),” said Rhea Ehresmann, assistant troll management biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. “So the 2018 winter troll fishery closing early on March 15 is the only year in recent decades in which we closed early for conservation concerns.”
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