Allison Sayer

On September 11, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game closed the Valdez terminal harvest area to sport fishing for coho salmon effective September 13 due to low abundance of returning fish. This unprecedented closure came after two previous reductions in sport fishing limits for coho.

Brittany Blain-Roth, the area management biologist overseeing sport fishing in Prince William Sound, Seward, and towards Homer, said there were some years, such as 2018, where she was “watching things a little closer,” but until this year, “we’ve never worried about Valdez.” 

Blain-Roth said that typically her staff pays attention to coho salmon throughout the area with an eye towards “increasing the bag limit” if the numbers warrant. This year, the signs of a poor coho return were widespread, and began early. Businesses on Ship Creek in Anchorage were reporting an absence of fish, and her own counts in Ship Creek showed low coho numbers. The Mat-Su Valley area manager wasn’t seeing coho salmon in weirs, and the Cook Inlet commercial sockeye fishery, which is allowed to catch and sell coho, also reported much lower numbers. Sport fishermen in Seward were calling to say, “Fishing isn’t good. No one’s catching fish.” 

When the Valdez Women’s Salmon Derby “wasn’t showing fish in numbers that are typical,” that was “the final flag” indicating management action needed to be taken in Valdez. Coho harvest limits were reduced to three fish in the Valdez Arm and the Port of Valdez, and just one fish in much of Prince William Sound past the Valdez Arm. 

Mike Wells, the executive director of the Valdez Fisheries Development Association (VFDA), stated that in over 40 years it was “one of the worst sport fishing seasons we’d seen in the Valdez Arm.” Even with the closure, the hatchery may not reach its broodstock goal. At the end of September, the hatchery had only collected about 800 fish while its minimum goal is 1,100. As of press time, hatchery workers were still gathering some fish, one at a time. Wells shared the hatchery was developing contingency plans to secure eggs from other sources, if need be.

Blain-Roth shared it was “really hard to cut Valdez knowing people rely on it. They don’t have to go very far or they can fish from shore, so it doesn’t cost a lot.” She shared that some Alaska residents make a trip to Valdez to fish for cohos after other fisheries have begun to wind down. If they didn’t participate in another fishery because they were counting on Prince William Sound silvers, they might be out of luck to fill their freezer. It was especially hard because the pink salmon run, which she said “people rely on for food,” was also poor. 

Blain-Roth said she received negative feedback from the first management action in Valdez. She explained that if the run ended stronger than it began, she could rescind the emergency orders. Unfortunately, the fish never came.

Coho limits were also reduced in Cook Inlet and North Gulf Coast waters due to poor returns. Cordova was one of a few areas in southcentral Alaska that saw a good coho return, which was confirmed by aerial surveys. 

Monitoring of southcentral Alaska wild coho stocks is not widespread, but wild returns in the Anchor River, which is monitored, and some monitored Mat-Su areas were down. Every wild run is different, but Blain-Roth believes many wild fish encountered the same issues as the hatchery fish. “Something affected their productivity. Was there not enough food? Was there more predation?” 

Wells stated that last year at Solomon Gulch, the typical target of between 1.7 and 1.9 million coho smolt were released. The juvenile fish met their target weight of 18-20 grams, “so they went out of here healthy.” 

Wells wondered if warmer temperatures in the Gulf of Alaska lowered productivity or displaced salmons’ prey. The availability or distribution of prey in the nearshore environment, where growing silvers feed, is another potential issue. Wells noted the terrible pink salmon return this year. He wondered if the same factors could have impacted both smolt populations, but emphasized that was speculative. “There are a lot of unanswered questions,” he said.

I asked whether Wells could confirm anecdotal statements the fish are coming “later.” He said fish seem to be arriving at the hatchery by the same dates. He wondered if the overall run was smaller to the point whether the first few pulses of fish were not coming in catchable numbers.

Blain-Roth said ADF&G does not have enough data to state whether there is an overall downward trend in coho returns in southcentral Alaska. However, at least for the Solomon Gulch hatchery fish there has been an observable downward trend in both size and numbers over decades. 

Blain-Roth said, “I’m very curious to see what next year looks like. Was it a one time event? These fish went out a year and a half ago- then more went out this spring and those fish were out there at the same time.” Were they exposed to the same issues?

Looking toward next year, Blain-Roth said the department will monitor cohos more closely, which could result in conservative early management. However, that can be liberalized if the run becomes stronger later. She added the real test will come in 2027, when the descendants of this year’s adults will be coming back.

Blain-Roth advised Alaskans not to wait until the end of the summer to catch fish, and to participate in diverse fisheries. She also encourages members of the public to call her with their observations. “I appreciate local knowledge,” she said, “even if it’s just to leave me a voicemail and say ‘Hey, this is so and so, you don’t need to call me back…” 

Will Everett, owner of the halibut and salmon fishing charter company Valdez Saltwater Adventures, stated the bag limit reduction to one coho for much of Prince William Sound was a turning point for salmon charters. Everett reached out to clients, giving them the opportunity to take an alternative charter or cancel. Many canceled. Everett estimates that about half of his salmon clients are from Alaska.

When asked whether this year’s coho run would affect his business going into next year, Everett said, “Hopefully not. I’m hoping it was just a bad return for whatever reason and we don’t see something like that again. If it’s two years in a row, it would kind of smash the salmon charter industry.” He continued, “We need to do something to make it a sustainable fishery or a lot of people will be out of work,” noting, “Nobody in the sport industry really likes the trawlers; it doesn’t help anything for sure.” 

Valdez Outfitters employee Gary Gardner is also hopeful this “terrible year” is not repeated. He stated that the business was able to shift many salmon charter customers to target other species. He highlighted sport catches of kings as a bright spot. However, the retail store that sells fishing gear took a big hit. “I don’t know what our bottom line is, but it is not going to be as good as it was last year. It affected everybody.” He also stated he has noticed the fish have gotten smaller over the past twenty years, and they don’t “school up” in the same way. “Whether it’s climate or the fishery or international issues, I don’t know what the issue is,  but we’re not getting the return.”

Mereidi Liebner, who captained charters in Valdez in 2017-2020 and again in 2022, described the poor run as “shocking.” She continued, “It’s a very noticeable difference in a very short amount of time.” After nearly 20 years of long days and rough seas charter fishing all over Alaska, she chose Valdez because it was “the easiest place.” While 2022 was a slower season, from 2017 through 2020, “It was a guaranteed experience and you didn’t have to go very far. I could limit out the whole boat before lunch time. That’s 36 fish with a rod and reel.” She agreed coho salmon can provide a lot of food, “Most of the salmon that’s been in my freezer has always been silvers.” She did not participate in the fishery this year, partly due to poor reports. 

A small crew of filleters work at the cleaning tables in Valdez, hiring themselves out to filet fish. They charge between $1 and $3 per salmon, and often receive tips in addition to that.  Pat Olson, who has become a celebrity after 35 years of fileting fish in Valdez, has records stating he fileted over 10,000 silver salmon last year, and just 1,009 this year. He fileted 578 pinks in 2024, but estimates he usually filets 6,000-10,000. Even with a decent halibut season and a larger than usual sport catch of Pacific cod, it was “the worst year ever in my 35 years.”

Joshua Duong, a high school senior who has been fileting fish since his freshman year, stated he fileted fish from other species in the absence of cohos. The early salmon closure ended his season early, which was disappointing because “I can’t cut the fish and I also can’t catch the fish.” He describes himself as “fish enthusiastic,” and gives away much of the fish he catches out of enjoyment. He said his last day of fishing last year was September 26, almost two weeks after this year’s closure date. Duong is also optimistic , and said he noticed quite a few cohos heading up Mineral Creek. 

In spite of everything, both Duong and Olson are hopeful for the future, stating they will be back next year because they “love what [they] do.” Olson enjoys making jokes with clients and onlookers, and people who come back to see him year after year. Duong says he likes to “put a smile on people’s faces.” Both enjoy using their skills to help others. Next fall, Duong’s season will end early when he goes to UAS to study Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. Meanwhile, Olson is philosophical, musing, “You can’t have a great season every year.”

Disclosure: Mereidi Liebner is a close personal friend of Allison Sayer.