Southeast Alaska Drift Gillnet Task Force Agenda

Ted Ferry Civic Center, Naha Room, Ketchikan, Alaska

December 4, 2013, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

A.    Introduction of meeting participants, distribute meeting materials, and review agenda  

B.  Review of 2013 season and 2014 season outlook

1. 2013 Gillnet Fishery Harvest and Value– Handouts
2. Justin Breese – Tree Point
3. Tom Kowalske – Prince of Wales and Stikine
4. Dave Harris – Taku/Snettisham
5. Randy Bachman – Lynn Canal
6. Andy Piston – 2013 escapement review 

C.  Hatchery Operators Summaries and Forecasts

1. DIPAC – Eric Prestegard
2. NSRAA – Steve Reifenstuhl
3. SSRAA – John Burke/Susan Doherty

D.  Discussion Issues

1. McDonald Lake update, escapement, sentinel project. (Andy Piston)
2. Status update for the statewide pink and chum salmon hatchery/wild interaction studies. (Ron Josephson)
3. District 8 spring troll and gillnet openings. (Troy)
4. Stikine subsistence fishery, FSB increase of subsistence sockeye harvest. (Troy)
5. Taku and Stikine Chinook spring opening. (Troy, Dave H)
6. Amalga Harbor purse seine fishery, sockeye harvest 2012-13. (Dave H)
7. Snettisham wild/hatchery harvest strategy. Stephens Passage mesh restrictions. (Dave H)
8. Icy/Chatham/Amalga/Lisianski sockeye genetic sampling program update (Andy Piston, Dan Gray)
9. Genetic analysis, capacity & ability to handle demands, status of funding and laboratory capacity, status of sockeye baseline studies.  (Dan Gray)
10. Troll and Gillnet Coho extensions, additional gillnet opportunities. (Dan Gray/Troy T)
11. Limestone Inlet pink salmon harvest management. (Dave H)
12. Pink and coho salmon escapements. (Andy Piston, management staff)
13.  Kootznoowoo concerns, update on extended jurisdiction, ADFG cooperation, 2013 subsistence harvest and escapement, Kanalku modifications, collection of sockeye genetics – 2012 – 2014 plan, harvest in Icy Strait, Chatham and Lynn Canal. (USFS, Dave H, Randy B)
14. Skeena River issues. (Scott W)
15. Adding latitude/longitude to regulations and EO announcements. (Staff)
16. Opening District 11C below Midway Island on a regular basis, beginning the 1^st week of the gillnet season. (Dave H)
17. Discussion of impacts of increasing gillnets from 60 to 80/90 meshes deep. (5AAC33.331) (Staff)
18. Board of Fisheries proposals. (Dan Gray, staff)
19. Department budget update for FY2014 and FY2015.  How did SE absorb FY2014 cuts? (Dan Gray)
20. ADFG involvement/funding in evaluating USFS rehabilitation projects and AK/BC mine reviews:
    1. Overview of Unuk River stocks and potential KSM Mine impacts(Scott W)
    2. Tulsequah Chief Mine (Taku)(Dave H)
    3. Galore Creek Mine (Stikine)(Troy)
    4. Bokan Mine (Moira Sound) (Scott W)
21. ADFG Personnel changes and replacements – Deputy Commissioner Bedford, Gordy Williams, Sue Aspelund, Scott Kelley. (Dan Gray)

E.  Future Task Force Meetings

1.   Set next meeting time and place (Petersburg/Wrangell)  

F.  Adjourn