Southeast Alaska Chinook Salmon All-Gear Catch Limit Target Is 205,300 Fish

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The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) has announced that the preseason all-gear catch limit for Southeast Alaska (SEAK) Chinook salmon in 2026 is 207,400 treaty Chinook salmon, with a target of 205,300 Chinook salmon. This year's target includes a 1% reduction from the treaty catch limit to serve as a buffer to avoid exceeding the all-gear limit and payback provisions of the Pacific Salmon Treaty.

Why it matters

The SEAK Chinook salmon all-gear catch limit is an important management tool to ensure the sustainability of the Chinook salmon fishery in the region. The limit is based on measures of Chinook abundance and is distributed among sport and commercial fisheries under management plans specified by the Alaska Board of Fisheries.

The details

The all-gear catch limit for SEAK is based on the abundance index output from the Pacific Salmon Commission Chinook model, which is required under Chapter 3 of the Pacific Salmon Treaty. ADF&G members of the treaty Chinook Technical Committee have reviewed the Chinook model inputs and outputs and accept the catch limit. The SEAK Chinook salmon all-gear catch limit is distributed among commercial purse seine (8,800), commercial drift gillnet (5,900), commercial set gillnet (1,000), commercial troll (146,000), and sport (43,600) fisheries.

• The 2026 SEAK Chinook salmon all-gear catch limit was announced on April 1, 2026.

What’s next

ADF&G scientists will continue to pursue alternative models and methods for setting SEAK catch limits in the future.