Management & HIA actions

Fish and wildlife are co-managed in Alaska under various state and federal entities with additional designations of authority authorized by area. Click to learn more about each and HIA’s involvement.

Federal Subsistence Management Board

“The Federal Subsistence Board is the decision-making body that oversees the Federal Subsistence Management Program. It is made up of the regional directors of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Forest Service, and there are three public members appointed by the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture: two represent rural subsistence users and one is the Federal Subsistence Board chairman. The Secretaries have delegated the authority to manage fish and wildlife for subsistence uses on Federal public lands and waters in Alaska to the Federal Subsistence Board.“

Federal Subsistence Board 2025 – February 4th – 6th in Anchorage
Fisheries Regulatory Meeting
HIA will be bringing local students from Hoonah City Schools to learn about and participate in the process.
Contact us to share your concerns or if you’re interested in attending with HIA as a community member!

-Attended 2024 in Anchorage
-Unit 4 Deer Proposals – Passed with Office of Subsistence Management amendments, barring non-federally qualified users from deer hunting in an area around Hoonah from Nov. 1st through 10th. Will be entered into the Federal Register and come into effect July 1st.

Southeast Regional Advisory Council

The Southeast Regional Advisory Council advises the Federal Subsistence Board on subsistence regulations in Southeast. The council is comprised of thirteen seats, all appointed by the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture after a nomination and interview process. These seats, filled by members of Southeast communities, can represent subsistence, commercial, and/or sport interest, but all work for the good of the subsistence harvester. Hoonah currently has a seat on the council, held by Frank Wright Jr.

Attend the next Southeast Regional Advisory Council meeting with us!
-Winter 2024 @ Wrangell (March 18th – 20th)

Share Concerns or Express Interest in Attending

Fall RAC – Attended with intention to present 10/2024
The meeting ran long into the nights as the council debated the Ketchikan Rural/Non-Rural Determination. Participated with RAC members in a working group to discuss and make recommendations on Board of Fish proposals.
Our Partners for Fisheries presentation was bumped to the next RAC meeting,
Read more about the FALL-RAC here:
https://www.hia-env.org/2024/11/15/se-rac-ketchikan-meeting/

ALL-RAC – Attended and presented 03/2024
–Basket Bay: Spoke in front of the SE-RAC. They supported position and submitted proposal to BoF on Hoonah’s behalf asking for an increase in possession and annual subsistence sockeye limits. Proposal will be included in next Board of Fish proposal review cycle.
HIA @ SERAC meeting transcript here.

Alaska Department of Fish & Game

Alaska Department of Fish & Game manages fish and wildlife on state (including private) lands and waters within 3nautical miles of shore(mean-high tide). The Boards of Fish and Game conserve and develop resources of Alaska. Members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by state legislature.
“The board uses biological and socioeconomic information provided by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, public comment received from people inside and outside of the state, and guidance from the Alaska Department of Public Safety and Alaska Department of Law when creating regulations that are sound and enforceable.” 

  • -BoF Basket Bay Proposal
    Submitted proposal to Board of Fish seeking to increase possession limit from 15 to 30 fish in the subsistence sockeye fishery. Leaving the annual limit untouched, this proposal acts as a favorable alternative to the SERAC’s that should limit increased impact on the stock while offering more efficient opportunity to the communities of Hoonah, Angoon, and Tenakee.

    Board of Fish will be reviewing this any many other proposals affecting Hoonah & Southeast Alaska
    Jan. 28th – Feb. 9th in Ketchikan.
  • UPDATE – Proposal #137 to increase the daily limit at Basket Bay to match the annual limit of 30 sockeye has been carried 7-0 and will be going into effect for 2025.
Icy Straits Advisory Committee

Advisory Committees advise the Boards of Fish & Game on local issues and perspectives. The Icy Straits AC has 15 seats including 11 representing Hoonah & Gustavus, and four undesignated seats that may be held by anyone of the local communities around the area.
HIA-Environmental currently holds two Hoonah seats (Ian Johnson & Jackson Combs)

-Membership & Meeting Schedule
Icy Straits AC meetings are open to the public and are designed to represent local interest! Please call in!
You may also contact the regional coordinator or any member of the AC with your thoughts. We want to hear from you!

North Pacific Fisheries Management Council

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is a regional council established by the Magnuson-Stevens Act to manage fisheries from 3-200miles offshore. This includes the trawl fisheries and bycatch.
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The Partners for Fisheries Monitoring Program was initiated in 2003 to strengthen Alaska Native and rural involvement in Federal subsistence fisheries management and research. The Partners Program is a competitive grant that is directed at providing funding for biologist, social scientist, or educator positions in Alaska Native and rural organizations with the intent of increasing the organizations ability to participate in Federal subsistence management. The program also supports a variety of opportunities for local, rural students to connect with subsistence resource monitoring and management through science camps and paid internships. The program has fostered more than 100 partnerships among local, tribal, State, Federal and academic organizations. The program has mentored over 80 college and 200 high school students from rural communities.