A fisherman feared lost, as Bristol Bay's run shows strain

A crew member is feared dead in Bristol Bay after going overboard from a fishing vessel — and the numbers coming out of the same waters point to a sockeye run in serious trouble.

The Coast Guard says a man went overboard from the F/V Sandman near Egegik Bay on Monday afternoon. Crews searched by boat and helicopter for hours in rough conditions — winds gusting near 30 mph and 5-foot seas — before suspending the search late that night. The man, who the Coast Guard said reportedly wasn't wearing a life jacket, hadn't been found.

The tragedy comes as the fishery shows signs of strain. On the Copper River, the count of sockeye past the Miles Lake sonar hit 317,769 by June 28 — the lowest on record for that date in 40 years — prompting Fish and Game to close the Chitina personal-use dipnet fishery for the coming week to let more fish reach the spawning grounds.

Troopers, out in force for the season, cited a string of commercial fishermen across the Egegik and Nushagak districts, the most serious for allegedly fishing during closed periods and wasting salmon.

Those charges are accusations, and the fishermen are presumed innocent.