Board of Fish meeting recap

The PWS meeting would not have had any celebratory outcomes benefitting the entire fleet without the hard work by CDFU member-fishermen. CDFU’s work is funded by member dues. If any BOF outcomes benefit your business, please support our continued work through an annual membership.

Results: groundfish + shellfish Proposals 1-43

We are celebrating actions that mean:

• An extended season for sablefish

• No personal use sablefish fishery

• The removal of closed waters to pot gear

• Boats being able to use hooks and pots at the same time

• Repealing the closed waters for PWS Tanner crab fisheries

• Repealing the ineffective Tanner crab harvest management strategy in place that would never have resulted in fishing opportunity, and a commitment from the Department to open test fisheries

• Reopening the Dungeness crab subsistence fishery in 2025. If abundance is evident, this gives the potential for a commercial fishery in 2026

• A directed octopus fishery

Results: copper river salmon Proposals 51-53

Make time to thank CDFU fishermen who are able to be in Cordova at the Prince William Sound meeting fighting for the best possible outcome for the early commercial closure threats outlined in proposals 51-53.

The Board of Fish’s focus to create chinook protections in this meeting was crystal clear by Monday evening. From direct and personal discussions with BOF members early in the week, it was also clear that BOF members would not budge from voting in favor of passing these restrictive proposals, due to missing king escapement goals in two and possibly three of the last five years. Initial considerations by the BOF were to pass proposal 51 either as written or with a BOF driven amendment to close early season commercial openers until June 1 - despite overwhelming opposition.

CDFU fishermen relentlessly worked with BOF members to turn this around and convey how important it is to preserve early openers, maintain management flexibility, and ensure the conservation of kings is a shared burden across user groups. The result is tough - but because of CDFU member efforts we were able to negotiate a season start after May 21 along with severe paired restrictions on the personal use dipnet fishery.

rESULTS: HERRING

What a win! The BOF passed proposals that support our harvestable herring populations and regulatory language to more effectively manage a fishery, including adding Kayak Island as a district into the plan. Permit holders can now harvest herring for their own use as bait.

RESULTS: Anti-Hatchery Defeated!

Proposal 78 failed 5-1, with lone Member Zuray voting in support of 25% reduction. During Miscellaneous Business at the end of the meeting, the Board of Fish passed a motion to address the multitude of hatchery reduction proposals over the years. BOF proposals concerning hatchery egg take goals will only be taken up by the Board of Fish at Statewide Finfish in-cycle meetings.

results: Main Bay Hatchery

Proposals 79-81 all addressed Main Bay operations. The Board passed PWSAC’s proposal 81 with substitute language by Member Carpenter in RC134 that would prohibit sport fishing within 200 feet of the barrier seine.