(Anchorage) — Under terms of the Pacific Salmon Treaty (treaty), the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) announced that the preseason all-gear catch limit for Southeast Alaska (SEAK) is 133,500 treaty Chinook salmon for 2025. The ADF&G target will be 130,850 Chinook salmon. This year’s target includes a 2% reduction from the treaty catch limit that will serve as a buffer to avoid exceeding the all-gear limit and payback provisions of the treaty.
The all-gear catch limit for SEAK is based on measures of Chinook abundance using the abundance index output from the Pacific Salmon Commission Chinook model. Use of this model for setting the SEAK catch limit is required under Chapter 3 of the treaty. ADF&G members of the treaty Chinook Technical Committee have reviewed the Chinook model inputs and outputs. ADF&G scientists will continue to pursue alternative models and methods to set SEAK catch limits in the future.
The SEAK Chinook salmon all-gear catch limit is distributed among sport and commercial fisheries under management plans specified by the Alaska Board of Fisheries as follows:
| Sector | 2025 Chinook Salmon Target |
|---|---|
| Commercial purse seine (4.3% of all-gear) | 5,620 |
| Commercial drift gillnet (2.9% of all-gear) | 3,800 |
| Commercial set gillnet (1,000) | 1,000 |
| Commercial troll (77% after net gear subtracted) | 92,730 |
| Sport (23% after net gear subtracted) | 27,700 |
| Total catch target | 130,850 |
The preseason outlook is improved for four SEAK Chinook salmon stocks – the Situk, Chilkat, Taku, and Unuk rivers which are forecasted to above escapement goals. The Stikine River, however, has a below-goal forecast and has missed its escapement goal in 9 consecutive years. Because recent production has been poor in the region, which also includes other Chinook salmon stocks such as King Salmon River, Andrew Creek, and Chickamin River, and several SEAK stocks have either been recently removed or adopted as Stocks of Management Concern, the management regime will continue to be conservative to minimize catches of Southeast Alaska Chinook salmon in 2025.
Specific management actions for sport and commercial fisheries can be found at:
Division of Sport Fish Advisory Announcements: Emergency Orders & Press Releases – Sport Fish – ADF&G
Division of Commercial Fisheries Advisory Announcements: Southeast Alaska Salmon, Alaska Department of Fish and Game
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ADF&G Announces 2025 Southeast Alaska Chinook Salmon All-Gear Catch Limit added by ADF&G on
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