Fishery Management
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, NOAA Fisheries, and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council manage sockeye salmon in Alaska.
- Managed under the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Salmon Fisheries in the EEZ off the Coast of Alaska.
- All management of the salmon fisheries in federal waters is deferred to the State of Alaska and the Department of Fish and Game. This allows management to remain consistent throughout salmon’s range.
- Managers regulate the fishery based on escapement goals to ensure harvests are sustainable. They want enough salmon to be able to escape the fishery and return to freshwater to spawn and replenish the population.
- Salmon fishery management largely relies on in-season assessment of how many salmon return to freshwater to spawn.
- Managers set harvest levels based on these returns. When abundance is high and the number of fish returning is much higher than that needed to meet escapement goals, harvest levels are set higher.
- During the season, scientists monitor catch and escapement, comparing current returns with those from previous years to keep an eye on abundance and actively manage the fishery.
- All management of the salmon fisheries in federal waters is deferred to the State of Alaska and the Department of Fish and Game. This allows management to remain consistent throughout salmon’s range.
- Off the West Coast and in Alaska, the Pacific Salmon Treaty, the Pacific Salmon Commission, and the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission help coordinate management, research, and enhancement of shared U.S. and international salmon stocks, including sockeye.