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Dryad

Naknek River subsistence salmon harvest assessment

Data files

Oct 05, 2020 version files 1.02 MB

Abstract

This project provides updated information about the harvests of salmon by the communities of King Salmon, Naknek, and South Naknek, Alaska. This project details the results of a household survey administered for the study years of 2017 and 2018 for harvests and uses of wild salmon by households in these Bristol Bay Borough communities. In addition to the results from the household survey data set, the resulting report includes information from in-depth interviews conducted with key respondents and during participant observation fishing trips. The three study communities are located along the Naknek River in Bristol Bay in Southwest Alaska. As in the past, during the 2017 and 2018 study years, many residents of these study communities relied on fishing for nutrition and to support their way of life. The household surveys found that, in both study years, subsistence harvests of salmon were important in the communities: more than 70% of the number of salmon harvested for King Salmon, and more than 80% of the salmon harvested for Naknek and South Naknek, were caught by subsistence net. Overall, the per capita harvests in 2017 were: 79 lb per capita in King Salmon, 138 lb per capita in Naknek, and 194 lb per capita in South Naknek. Sockeye salmon, followed by either Chinook salmon or coho salmon, composed the largest portions of salmon harvests (in pounds usable weight) for the three communities in 2017. In 2018, the harvests of salmon increased to 116 lb per capita for King Salmon, but decreased to 108 lb per capita for Naknek, and for South Naknek the per capita harvest decreased to 116 lb. Mirroring 2017, for study year 2018 sockeye salmon, followed by either Chinook salmon or coho salmon, composed the largest portions of salmon harvests for the three study communities. This study is part of the effort to collect data about the full range of wild salmon harvests and uses, and areas of harvest, to understand in all its complexity the importance of salmon as a subsistence resource. The project was funded by the Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund (AKSSF). This information was collaboratively collected by research staff of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) Division of Subsistence, and research staff from the Natural Resources Department of Bristol Bay Native Association.