The pride of the Chilkat Valley— all five species of Pacific salmon— is at risk with Chilkat king salmon on the decline for six of the last seven years.

On July 12, more than 35 people crowded into assembly chambers to broach the topic: how do we save our kings?

The Friday meeting, proposed by assembly member Tom Morphet earlier this month, was intended to include Alaska Department of Fish and Game commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang, who did not attend.

Instead, local representatives from sport fishing, commercial fishing and the Chilkoot Indian Association spoke about the economic and cultural loss of diminishing Chilkat king runs.

Since 1988, six-year-old female kings have steadily decreased in a “disturbing trend,” Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist Rich Chapell said. They are returning from the ocean to spawn at earlier ages with fewer eggs.

“It’s either that fish are just failing to survive to age six in the ocean and then coming back, or they’re choosing to come back earlier for some biological reason,” Chapell said. “The effect is that the number of eggs that reach the spawning ground each year has been decreasing for the last nine years. That is further reducing the productivity in the Chilkat population.”

Last year, returning Chilkat kings were as few as 873, the lowest on record, Chapell said. “Even if nobody harvested any Chilkat kings, the runs would still not meet escapement goal.”

The state Board of Fisheries has since labeled Chilkat kings, along with Unuk River kings, as “stocks of concern” for continuously failing to meet escapement goals. That designation came with a host of protective regulations across the Southeast.

“I think we’re probably looking at a loss of about $1 million a year by not having a decent sports fishing run here in Haines. When you start looking at hotel, fuel, lodging, it’s a significant hit to the Haines economy not having that fish,” Alaska Sport Shop owner Doug Olerud said.

Several fishermen asked local biologists if the state would consider habitat enhancement, or hatcheries.

Chapell said it’s not currently state policy. “The state of Alaska’s policy at this time is to restore depleted stocks through conservation, and letting the wild stock recover by limiting human harvest, that’s our primary tool,” he said.

From 2000 to 2015, Fish and Game ran a hatchery program that released Chilkat origin king salmon in Skagway. Chapell said that the program eventually petered out when those runs diminished, as well.

Many audience members pointed to predatory sea lions, and underreporting in the purse seine fisheries and subsistence fishery as reasons for dwindling runs.

“The biggest harvester of king salmon is the sea lion,” fisherman Charlie Dewitt said.

Morphet, who was unable to attend the meeting, had his wife ask questions on his behalf. Jane Pascoe asked if Fish and Game would do things differently if there were more funding.

Area management biologist Nicole Zeiser said Fish and Game could benefit from genetic samples to analyze where fish were caught specifically, and from what stocks.

Last week, Zeiser reported 141 gillnetters caught about 300 kings in Lynn Canal.

Not all 300 kings were from the Chilkat, Fish and Game biologist Brian Elliott told the CVN. Some had tags from Juneau hatcheries and the Taku River.

“If we could see some patterns on where the Chilkats are being harvested specifically, then we could further assign time and area restrictions,” Elliott said.

This season, management restrictions have included closing the area north of Eldred Rock through the end of July, limiting certain open waters for two days through early July, restricting mesh size to six inches through mid-July and reducing the Boat Harbor terminal harvest area.

Ted Hart, Fisheries specialist for Chilkoot Indian Association, had a different suggestion for management. “At what point do we take a step back and say: There are just a few left here. Maybe we should just take a step back and let them do their thing unharmed.”

What can locals do to save the kings?

Interested parties can inquire with the Commissioner on where funding for analyzing genetic testing for king salmon stands, Chapell said.