July 16, 2024 — The group tasked by Congress with outlining research priorities to address challenges facing Alaska salmon has released its final report.
The Alaska Salmon Research Task Force report says that the need for action is urgent when it comes to understanding shifts in salmon productivity, particularly in the hardest-hit Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim (AYK) region.
The report summarizes the factors believed to be impacting salmon productivity, from warming oceans, to marine food limitations and bycatch.
In the case of chinook and chum salmon bycatch, the report says that improved stock identification methods need to be a research priority. It says that the impacts of commercial fishing on Western Alaska salmon are currently unclear due to the way stock groupings cover large geographical areas.