The Decline of Alaska's King Salmon Run

[Meadowlark]

New to this forum...and interested in hearing about your experiences/views on the possible decline of King Salmon runs in Alaska.

The King Salmon has to be one of the very top species in the World available to the fly angler. For me, I've experienced a steady decline in numbers for the past 5 years or so...and still looking for a choice location for next summer's run.

Would love to hear from you...meanwhile enjoy some past pictures.

First from 4 years ago out of Nelson's lagoon and then last year on the Goodnews river.

 

[Ard]

Numbers depend very much on where in Alaska you are fishing, the article linked here; An Inconvenient Possibility will give you my observations based on 15 years of residency and experiences dating as far back as 1989. Welcome to the forum.

 

[AzTrouter]

I worked in Alaska on long liners, net boats and small salmon boats and yes the fisheries are generally going to hell. Years of abuse, pollution and other factors.

Think the big cod runs on the east coast, oh wait what cod?

 

[Meadowlark]

I worked in Alaska on long liners, net boats and small salmon boats and yes the fisheries are generally going to hell. Years of abuse, pollution and other factors.

Think the big cod runs on the east coast, oh wait what cod?

I'll bet you had some interesting times there.

I've been going to Alaska for more years than I like to count and have sadly watched the decline....and perhaps worse the lack of a sense of urgency to preserve a unique fishery.

 

[Ard]

I don't know if you read what I linked or not, it could use some editing at this time because the final tally on the river I mentioned over at the Bay reached 97,279 fish. With that evidence in hand I'll stick to my point that our Southcentral stocks are simply being over fished into an endangered state.

My introduction to this place and the fisheries began in 1989 and my job back then was commercial fishing. Way back then the level of harvest I was witness to gave me the creeps. Yeah I did the job but it affected me to an extent that lingers. Now I am a Fly Fishing Only C&R guide here. I am the only C&R guide I know of here in my area. One thing I can say with certainty is that other than my fishermen I have never seen anyone release a king salmon. None.

 

[lightline]

Sobering read Ard. Sad, but true, I believe. I was lucky to fish Alaska in the 80's and early 90's. Kings? Man, we used to catch 'em by the dozen every morning on the Nush. Unalakleet in the early 80's? Unbelievable. And Silvers? My God, fish-a-cast stuff almost daily at times on the major rivers I fished. Just nutty. Same with most of the other SW rivers I was fortunate to sample. Katmai was the best freshwater fishing I've ever seen or heard of.

I don't have any answers except for one, to just STOP IT. No more salmon harvest, period. I know, I've just stolen the livlihoods of hundreds of thousands of commercial fishermen and those that rely on commercial fishing to make their living. Fishermen. Canneries. Subsistence? Time for that to go as I knew it. Not for everybody, but when there's other food to keep you alive. Those way in the bush who really rely on the salmon I don't fault anyway. Wild salmon for those consumers who enjoy buying and eating salmon in its various forms nationwide and worldwide needs to vanish. (Yes, I are one!).

Its really simple, if you want more fish, you have to stop killing them. In the ocean, in the rivers, and with the nets in between. I think their habitat is still pretty good up there, right? (Unlike the lower 48 with dams, irrigation, chemicals, etc.) At some point, its going to come down to that. People will have to find other careers, jobs, and sources of their food until we can balance harvest with survival of the species. I'm not sure where we are on that high wire right now, but its teetering dangerously close to making pacific salmon damn near gone, certainly threatened and endangered in many areas. The salmon and steelhead runs in the pacific northwest are a joke. "Hardcore" fishermen fish days and weeks for one fish, or a few "takes." Sounds like the Last Frontier is following the same path. I am grateful for getting up there when I did. I hope common sense prevails someday, though I really don't have hope for that happening until they're nearly gone. It's what history shows us when it comes to taking care of a resource. Enjoy whats left of it while you can.

 

[Meadowlark]

... One thing I can say with certainty is that other than my fishermen I have never seen anyone release a king salmon. None.

The exact opposite is true in my experience...but I will stipulate that my data set is somewhat limited by comparison. The guys I know that fly fish for Kings would just about do anything to avoid killing one, myself included.

The King is far too valuable of a fish to just put in a box to ship it home.

 

[Ard]

What I am witness to here is a rapidly increasing population which includes an increase in angler pressure as well. This area (South Central Alaska) encompasses a very large landmass and it is within this area and Western Alaska that the most dramatic declines are being noted. In this part of Alaska the fishermen are residents not visiting fly ' sport anglers and the name of the game is harvest. As I tried to highlight in my writing the harvest is of escapement fish and the situation seems untenable.

 

[bumble54]

It is a worldwide problem, it is my belief that the greatest threat to most fish species we harvest for food or pursue for sport is the commercial fishing of the smaller prey species that is their main source of food. Herring, Anchovy, Sand eels, Krill, Sardine and so on that are turned into fertilizer and pig feed. Add to that the devastation of the Shark populations for Shark fins (Sharks keep the oceans fish stocks healthy), the increase in predator numbers such as seals, the disgusting conditions and chemicals used at salmon farms, mostly based near river mouths and perfectly located to intercept migratory fish. Added to the pollution of our rivers and oceans and you can see why things are going downhill fast. Remove your food supplies, hunt you down as prey and you too would starve and your population too would decline rapidly.
I see little hope for optimism for the future of migratory fishes nor indeed for mankind unless we stop doing what we are doing to the world. I for one refuse to eat farmed Salmon and waste no opportunity to inform others of the health risks they are taking in eating it, in fact I eat no farmed fish whatsoever.