Purse seining extended through Friday in Section 13-B on pink salmon uptick

Southeast seiners get roughly a day and a half of extra fishing time in Section 13-B, where the Alaska Department of Fish and Game extended the West Crawfish Inlet and Shamrock Bay opening from 5 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, through 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, citing an uptick in pink salmon abundance.

"Due to an increase in pink salmon abundance observed today, fishing time for the West Crawfish Inlet and Shamrock Bay purse seine fishery in Section 13-B will be extended," the department said in the announcement, issued under Emergency Order 1S5626. The open water lies east of 135°16.00' W longitude and south of 56°50.30' N latitude. Cedar Pass stays closed south of 56°48.02' N latitude, and every other line, time, and restriction from the Aug. 4 Southeast purse seine announcement holds.

Section 13-B is already governed by emergency-order management, which gives the department authority to adjust openings and closures in season. The notice itself does not assess any broader trend, and it points to no market, processing, or fleet-wide effect beyond added fishing time in one area. An earlier Alaska News article noted the department's Point Gardner and Kingsmill test fisheries were running well below their 10-year averages through July 19, with timing described as late.

The notice reports no harvest figures or fleet participation, and offers no perspective from fishermen or processors.