Kuskokwim Bay subsistence fishing closes four days for commercial openings

Subsistence fishing closes in Kuskokwim Bay Districts 4 and 5 at 12:01 a.m. Monday, July 27. It stays closed until 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 31, under an Alaska Department of Fish and Game emergency order that opens the same waters to commercial fishing.

The order authorizes five 12-hour commercial periods, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily from Monday through Friday, in the districts covering Quinhagak and Goodnews Bay. It is another commercial opening paired with a subsistence closure this month. The subsistence closure ends at 12:01 a.m. Friday, eight hours before the fifth and final commercial period begins at 8 a.m. that day. State regulation allows subsistence closures tied to commercial periods in the two districts from June 1 through Sept. 8.

Gillnets must have 6-inch or smaller mesh. They may run no longer than 50 fathoms and no deeper than 45 meshes. Gear may not be operated in a way that obstructs more than half the width of any waterway, a restriction that applies at all tide stages in the intertidal zone. Fishers may keep part of the catch for personal use if it is recorded on a fish ticket.

WildFish Marketing remains the only processor registered to buy in the area. The department said it will monitor performance before announcing additional periods. The announcement, Emergency Order 3-S-WB-11-26, did not include comment from subsistence users or commercial fishers in the two districts.