BOF passed an Emergency Petition regarding Southeast AK gillnet submitted by ADF&G. In districts 6, 8, 11, and 15, through the fourth Saturday in July, by emergency order, fishing periods can be established with maximum gillnet mesh size of 6 inches. This mesh size requirement didn’t previously include district 6 and ended the fourth Saturday in June. This emergency regulation will last 120 days beginning May 1, and we will likely see this proposal again at the Southeast Finfish and Shellfish meeting in 2018.
This regulation is meant to allow the escapement of more king salmon, that are currently in a cycle of low abundance. For 2017, the Taku and Chilkat rivers will likely not meet escapement and the Stikine River is forecast to be at the midpoint of escapement goal range.
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/regulations/regprocess/fisheriesboard/pdfs/2016-2017/statewide/rcs/rc019_ADFG_Petition_District_6_Mesh_Size.pdf