Region 1-Southeast News Release
(Released: September 06, 2005)
Contact:
Steven McCurdy
Assistant Area Management Biologist
Phone: (907) 826-2498
September 06, 2005
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) announced today that the Klawock River, downstream from the ADF&G regulatory markers, will be open to the use of bait by anglers from 12:01 a.m. Thursday, September 15, through November 15, 2005. These regulatory markers are located 300 feet downstream of the weir at the Klawock River Hatchery.
The Alaska Board of Fisheries has authorized the department to use its emergency order authority to liberalize methods and means if there is an abundance of fish returning to an area that exceeds escapement and brood stock requirements. The Prince of Wales Hatchery Association (POWHA) predicts that over 100,000 adult hatchery produced coho salmon will return to the Klawock River in 2005. Based on this estimate and a high abundance of coho salmon in marine waters, the department is permitting sport anglers to use bait downstream of the ADF&G regulatory markers (300 feet downstream of the POWHA weir) in the Klawock River.
Anglers are reminded that the portion of the Klawock River upstream of the regulatory markers remains closed to the use of bait, and fishing is closed 300 feet upstream and downstream of the POWHA weir.
