Copper River stays closed to commercial fishing as Chinook run tracks weak

The Copper River District will stay closed to commercial salmon fishing while subsistence permit holders get a 12-hour window starting at 7 a.m. Thursday, July 16, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced Wednesday. Waters within the Chinook salmon expanded inside closure area will be open during that subsistence period. ADF&G also noted that unscheduled announcements providing additional fishing opportunity based on Miles Lake sonar passage trends may occur at any time inseason. For Cordova-area commercial fishers, cumulative harvest stands at just 4,250 Chinook and 242,000 sockeye.

Why the District Stays Closed

ADF&G cited Chinook abundance indicators and escapement concerns as reasons for the closure. The agency's Announcement No. 20, issued by area management biologists Todd Johnson and Jeremy Botz, states that "forecast, harvest, sonar apportionment, and fish wheels indicators of Chinook salmon abundance all suggest a weak Copper River Chinook salmon run," with large Chinook counts tracking near the lower end of the escapement goal, a range met in only four of the last seven years. The cumulative sonar count through July 14 reached 544,769 fish, slightly above the 530,183 that would be expected by that date based on historical timing. The Coghill District also remained closed, with the weir counting only 6,877 sockeye through July 10 against an anticipated 15,524.

Next Steps

The next announcement is expected by 2 p.m. Saturday, July 18. ADF&G's Cordova gillnet announcement line is 907-424-7535.