The Alaska Board of Fish, meeting January 28-February 9, 2025, adopted proposal #137, increasing the daily subsistence sockeye limit at Basket Bay from 15 to 30 (annual limit remains at 30). This change, supported by several advisory committees and Sitka and Ketchikan representatives of Tlingit & Haida, addresses Hoonah residents’ concerns about current management practices. The increased daily limit allows users to get their fish in one day, reducing the need for multiple trips. Benefiting residents of Hoonah, Angoon, and Tenakee, who travel long distances across potentially hazardous waters of Chatham Strait. A related and alternate proposal (#136) was also submitted through the Southeast Regional Advisory Council. These proposals, written by HIA’s Fisheries Biologist, Jackson Combs, were generated from community feedback through conversations and community survey results.
Though official monitoring of Basket Bay sockeye ended in 2017, current anecdotal observations are that this stock is strong and healthy. HIA will look to resume fisheries monitoring of this important subsistence resource in the near future.
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