This report provides the department's reassessment of Yukon River king salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, which has been classified as a yield concern. A review of Yukon River summer chum salmon O. keta is also provided because the overlapping run timing with the king salmon run greatly affects management of both species.

This report provides the department's reassessment of Yukon River king salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, which has been classified as a yield concern. A review of Yukon River summer chum salmon O. keta is also provided because the overlapping run timing with the king salmon run greatly affects management of both species.

In response to the guidelines established in the Policy for the Management of Sustainable Salmon Fisheries (SSFP; 5 AAC 39.222), the Alaska Board of Fisheries (board) classified the Yukon River king salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha stock as a stock of yield concern at its September 2000 work session. An action plan was developed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and acted upon by the board in January 2001. The status as a yield concern was continued at the January 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016 board meetings. The stock of yield concern for king salmon was recommended to continue at the 2018 work session. King salmon escapement goals were generally met throughout the Alaska portion of the Yukon River drainage the past 5 years (2014-2018). Conservative management actions taken inseason have contributed to achieving escapement goals. Run size has been improving since 2013, but runs are still below the 1989-1998 period when run sizes were much larger and provided unrestricted subsistence harvest and a consistent commercial harvest. King salmon runs in 2014-2016 and 2018 have shown moderate increases sufficient to provide some subsistence harvest, but not commercial harvest. The run size in 2017 was the largest since 2003 and could have provided a full subsistence harvest and a surplus available for commercial. Inseason assessment uncertainty makes it challenging to fully utilize available surpluses. Yukon River summer chum salmon (O. keta) runs have had large surpluses available for harvest the past 5 years.

This report provides the Alaska Board of Fisheries with information on Yukon Area salmon stock status, including escapement and harvest data for the January 2023 regulatory meeting. In response to the guidelines established in the Policy for the Management of Sustainable Salmon Fisheries (5 AAC 39.222), the Alaska Board of Fisheries (board) classified the Yukon River Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha stock as a stock of yield concern at its September 2000 work session. An action plan was developed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and acted upon by the board in January 2001. The status as a yield concern was continued for Yukon River Chinook salmon at the January 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019 board meetings. Chinook salmon escapement goal performance has been mixed throughout the past 5 years (2018–2022) throughout the Alaska portion of the Yukon River drainage, but escapement goals were not met from 2020 to 2022. Conservative management actions taken inseason have included full subsistence fishery closures to protect low runs as they migrate upriver. Additionally, Yukon River summer chum, fall chum O. keta, and coho salmon O. kisutch recently experienced a drastic decline since 2020. Most escapement goals for chum and coho salmon have not been achieved since 2020 despite significant subsistence, personal use, and commercial fishing restrictions and closures. Historically, the Yukon River chum and coho salmon stocks have met or exceeded escapement goals and provided for subsistence, personal use, and commercial fisheries, with a few exceptions of decreased production in a couple tributaries.