The Alaska Court of Appeals has reinstated charges of subsistence salmon overharvest against former state Sen. Albert Kookesh and two others.
Here is the court's opinion.
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- I'm a journalist covering Alaska's commercial fishing industry. My real name is Wesley Loy. Reach me at wloy61@gmail.com.
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5 comments:
A few points
1. Kanalku is today a recovered stock. Escapement has increased from 2-300 in 2001 to 3000 plus in 2009-2010
2. Angoon community association asked ADFG for the 15 fish limit
3. 2009 was the largest year in quite some time so it is understandable that Kookesh was excited about getting some more fish
4. Kookesh caught way more than this. Freezers were stocked long before this one day excessive catch.
5. This stock is in the bag by late july, when commercial fishing begins in earnest in this area
6. The 16 foot jump up Kanalku falls prevents up to 70% of sockeye from spawning in the lake on years of high water velocity
7. USFS blasted out the jumping pool in 2013
8. The first recognition and blasting by USFS occurred in 1968
So this is a longstanding issue, the local commercial fisheries have no bearing on the health of the stock, and Kookesh might be slightly forgiven for being excited about the largest returns in Kanalku history
Even though as a sitting member of the legislature for 2 decades he did indeed break the law
Pardon Kookesh.
Pardon Kookesh as soon as the Obamas interior and USFS - departments take their ETJ back to DC
Look at the numbers
Even with the falls not yet being built, the Kanalku sockeye run totals average 10 tomes a decade ago
What commercial incidental harvest species increases its stock size by tenfold in a decade?
A fuckin healthy one bros!!!!!!
IN 2009 there was a robust purse seine fishery in Chatham. There were approximately 3000 sockeyes that returned to Kanalku for subsistence as well as maximum escapement.
IN 2010 there was no traditional purse seine fishery at all in Chatham. There were approximately 3000 sockeyes that returned to Kanalku for subsistence as well as for maximum escapement.
In 2011, a rebuilding year for Kanalku, there were 1150 sockeyes, an increase of 100% from the parent year of 2007 and 400% from the grandparent year of 2003. Seiners fished in 2011, not during the peak Kanalku run timing--- that early July Chatham fishery has been closed for 3 decades for the most part---.
In 2012 there was no fishery in Chatham by seiners and there were about 3000 sockeyes returned to Kanalku--1000 for subsistence--- 1000 for escapement---- and 1000 died banging their heads against the rocks at Kanalku Falls.
In 2013 a fishery once again in Chatham, decent escapement-- don't have all the numbers yet-- and the subsistence fishery must have been good enough as there wasn't any subsistence this year or last at Sitkoh or Kook Lake at Basket Bay.
Back to 2008,,,, another year with no purse seine fishery in Chatham.
08-10-12 no fishery
]
09-11-13 robust fishery
no difference between years where there is no purse seine fishery and years where there is one.
What's that tell ya.
It'd be just like Bristol bay.
If someone wanted to fish pinks in the Bay starting July 20-27 or thereabouts( the last subsistence harvest at Kanalku-- a 3-5 day swim for a sockeye from the commfish grounds-- is July 21. The peak is a week and a half earlier. Indeed Mr. Kookesh was fishing on, what, the 9th of July and he'd already bagged 400-500 by then.)
Well if someone wanted to fish the Bay in late JUly or August, I doubt seriously if the ADFG would have a sockeye escapement issue with this.
Same same with Kanalku.
It's the timing.
the most amazing thing about the Kanalku- ETJ issue is why is it even an issue. this kanalku thing has been a passage problem from time to time, the most recent we are just recovering from. on years of high water flow, the sockeyes cannot make the 16 foot jump at the falls. USFS Sceintist documented up to 65% mortality for adult sockeye salmon attempting to jump Kanalku Falls. So we start with a half century-recognized impediment to spawning. then we look at the large harvests by Angoon in the late 1990's, culminating with the largest subsistence harvest ever in 1999. Now it crashes--- oh yeah== in 2003---duh
the 2nd mostamazing thing about this issue is that any Alaskan can go to Kanalku and fish for subsistence or personal use. Or any member of the human race of 6 billion or whatever. For that matter. and that now, today, in 2014, not one person who isnt' either a member of the community of Angoon or isn't a sports lodge guest at Kootznawoo's lodge eating sockeyes from Kanalku every other night at the lodge. lost of Kanalku sockeyes show up in Juneau in trade, etc. homepack from former Angoon residents who live in Juneaau.
the grace and respect accorded the Angoon residents, and longest term residents from others in SE Alaska is immense there are other 400 residentplus communities that get little or no attention. state senator and rep for 2 decades.s could have paved the streets with gold if they'd asked their senator for it.
so no one else goes. we sureas shitgo to Kook Lake and lots of othyer spots to get sockeyes with gillnets, beach seines. for personal use.
and why did Kootznawoo. a corporation with HQ in Juneau, bring this. why not sealaska, why not afn grand camp, why not cochhitta, why not the city of
Angoon, the Angoon Community Association????
partly because 34% of all the salmon seine monies and probably 25% of all salmon monies made in the salmon fisheries go to Tlingit and Haida members of SEALASKA. Duh!!
but mostly because these guys are being asked to pony up for a community whose folks are trading fish for whatever in Juneau and caught between 1300-1900 sockeyes on a system that rarely produces that as a long term average. it now produces 2200-3300a year. that was also when the 2001 log blockage that made the jumping pool that the USFSZ blasted out in august of 2013-- don't worry, only a few, very few, humpies and dogs were there as the sockeyes were long in the lake. last year was a good dry July and early august that allows nearly all sockeyes to get to the lake.
well, coincidentally, that log in the jumping pool came at around the same time as the end of the big subsistence harvests.
the people of angoon all know these things but wanted to support their other friends formerly from angoon who started all of this.
let's just pay the $500 fine and go home. pardon kookesh. I agree with the other guy above.
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