2024 board of fish proposals

Proposal seeks to: reduce current salmon harvest permit limit from 25/10 (25 fish for head of household and 10 additional fish for each additional household member. The NEW harvest limit would be 20/5.  20 for head of household and 5 for each additional member. 

We Oppose 60: This proposal will reduce your right harvest the fish you need to feed your family by reducing your Dipnet harvest  bag limit.

I.E. family of 4 can currently  harvest 55, if proposal is adopted, a family of 4 would only be allowed 35 fish.

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they are Neutral on this Proposal stating no conservation concerns.

Proposal seeks to: Reduce current salmon harvest bag limit from a 25/10, 25 for head of household and 10 for each additional member to 15/10. Supplemental permits for an additional 10 salmon for head of household will issued by Emergency oder only.  

We Oppose 61: This proposal will reduce your Dipnet bag limit. effectively reducing your right harvest the fish you need to feed your family, You would have to seek an additional supplemental permit for 10 more fish. and come back to fish that permit an a later date.

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they are Neutral on this Proposal stating no conservation concerns.

Proposal seeks to: Allow in season adjustment of the Copper River personal use maximum harvest level. 

We Oppose 62: This proposal will reduce your Personal Use bag limit. It is proposed by commercial fishermen in Cordova who wants to tie commercial openers and closures to the Personal use dipnet schedule. So if they get closed, then you should not able to fish. 

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they are Neutral on this Allocative Proposal stating no conservation concerns. And Opposes unnecharly reducing opportunity in the PU.

This proposal seeks to: Change the Personal Use opening date from June 7th to June 21st annually to allow for "genetic diversity" of fish but Commercial Fishing will remain open, by that time nearly 6 weeks. 

We Oppose 63: This is another effort to restrict and reduce your access without any biological proof that this delayed start would actually work.

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they Oppose this Proposal.

This proposal seeks to: Prohibit Alaska residents from possessing both Chitina Personal Use Permit and any other personal use permit anywhere on the state in the same year.  Another effort to restrict and reduce your harvest.

We Oppose 64:  You or your family members would not be able to Dipnet both the Copper and the Kenai in a single summer as you currently can.  There is no reason for this and is another example of their desire to restrict and reduce your harvest.

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they Oppose this Proposal.

Proposal seeks to: Require issuance of a 7 day Dipnet permit and immediate reporting upon expiration of 7 day permit. and prohibit future issuance of permits for failing to report by the time the permit expires. 

We Oppose 65: This proposal seeks to force in season reporting of your harvest. Currently you have till Sep 30th to report. It is not necessary or wanted by Dept of Fish & Game for in season management for established fishery objectives.

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they are Neutral on this Proposal. They state it would be burdensome and challenging to enforce. 

Proposal seeks to: Manage the Chitina Subdistrict personal use fishery to achieve the Gulkana Hatchery broodstock goal 

Manage PU to Gulkana fishery.

We Oppose 66: The Chitina Subdistrict is not a terminal harvest area.  This proposal seeks to shut down the Dipnet fishery while com fish gets their hatchery in order. It restricts your access to harvest for your family.

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they Oppose this Proposal.

Proposal seeks to: Prohibit removing king salmon from the water if it is to be released in the Chitina Subdistrict.

We Oppose 67: This proposal  seems good hearted but it is practically impractical to attempt to remove a large thrashing King Salmon from a net under water, so unfortunately the fish needs to break the water surface to untangle it quickly. It poses a risk to the person on shore or in a boat to attempt this delaying the release as fishermen struggle to sort out a fish twisted in a net that they can't see likely increasing mortality. 

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they Oppose this Proposal.

Proposal seeks to: Prohibit use of dip nets from a boat to "reduce the stress on sockeye and king salmon".

Oppose 68: This proposal is a back door ban on dipnet charters with no other biological reason to to support this prohibition.

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they Oppose this Proposal.

Proposal seeks to: Restrict time and area of users when dipnetting from a boat. 

We Oppose 67: Submitted by a ComFish member who submits several proposals each cycle to restrict or eliminate your access to the fishery for their gain. A classic example of "if I can't fish, you can't fish either", this is aimed at charters.

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they Oppose this Proposal.

Proposal seeks to: EXTEND EAST BANK OF PU TO CANYON CREEK. Submitted by Chitina Dipnetter's Association. 

We Support 70: This would extend the drift at the lower limit by about 700 yards making it safer to operate the boat in a less congested fishery.  Would allow for Dipnetters in a boat to extend the time their nets are in the water in a safe and stable drift location.

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they are Neutral on this Proposal. 

Proposal seeks to: PROHIBIT USE OF CHARTER SERVICES IN THE PERSONAL USE DIPNET FISHERY!

We Oppose 71: Dipnet charters provide safe and reliable access to Dipnet fisheries throughout the state. There is no reasonable excuse to justify the restricting access for Alaskan families. 

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they Oppose this Proposal.

Proposal seeks to: Allow more than the legal limit of gillnet gear to be onboard a vessel used in the subsistence salmon fishery. 

We Oppose 44: Having both commercial and subsistence gear on board a commercial fishing vessel at the same  creates great difficulty in determining end use of fish making it difficult to determine which permit those fish were harvested under. 

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they Oppose this Proposal.

Proposal seeks to: Allow subsistence fishing for salmon in the Copper River inside closure area at mouth of Copper River.

We Oppose 45: Inside closure is for conservation of king salmon. Inside refers to an area at the mouth where Copper River Salmon are concentrating for their push into the river.

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they Oppose this Proposal.

Proposal seeks to: Require Subsistence Fishing Permit to report harvest within 7 days Copper River district in Cordova

We Oppose 46: Not necessary or wanted by Dept of Fish & Game for in season management for established fishery objectives.

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they are Neutral on this Proposal. They state it would be burdensome and challenging to enforce. 

Proposal seeks to: Require Subsistence and Personal use  Permit to report harvest within 5 days.  Failure to report will restrict issuance of permit the following year. 

We Oppose 47: Not necessary or wanted by Dept of Fish & Game for in season management for established fishery objectives.

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they are Neutral on this Proposal. They state it would be burdensome and challenging to enforce. 

We SUPPORT!: This Proposal Wishes to  reopen Dipnet Charter Access to the Subsistences fishery above the bridge!

This access gives you choice and chance to harvest food for your family.  Subsistence is every Alaskan's Constitutional RIGHT! ComFish successfully lobbied to get this closed at the 2020 Board Meeting. Now we have a chance to get it back, speak out!

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they are Neutral on this Proposal stating no conservation concerns.

Proposal seeks to: Ban drop off transport services to Alaskan residents in the Subsistence Fishery above the bridge. 

We Oppose 49:  In 2020 ComFish successfully lobbied to ban Dipnet charters above the bridge with a carve out for transporters to allow subsistence fishing drop offs.  Now they want another bite at that apple and want to BAN ALL Access to this fishery!

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they are Neutral on this Proposal stating no conservation concerns.

Proposal seeks to: Prohibit use of Chart plotters or depth finders in the subsistence fishery above the bridge.

We Oppose 50: The safety a depth finder and chart plotter provides in the safe navigation of the Copper is undeniable! 

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they Oppose this Proposal.

Proposal seeks to:  Lift commercial fishing closures in Copper River District inside closure area during statistical weeks 20 and 21 

We Oppose  54: Adoption of this proposal would increase harvest potential for king salmon by Com Fish. 

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they Oppose this Proposal.

Proposal seeks to: Restrict guide services in the Upper Copper River District when the Copper River District commercial fishery is restricted.

We Oppose 55: Implementation of this proposal would have no effect on ability to manage for established in river goal objectives. Another vailed attempt by Com Fish to restrict your access to the fishery.

In the Dept Of Fish & Game's written comments they Oppose this Proposal.