Yukon Salmon Sub-Committee calls for tighter restrictions

The Yukon Salmon Sub-Committee is calling for tighter restrictions on chinook salmon fishing in Yukon.Acomplete ban is alreadyin place on the Alaskan side of the riverfor the second year in a row.

Canadian rules need to be more conservative, according toDennis Zimmerman,the group's executive director.

"Once the productivity comes back on the Chinook, then you can start to address other things," says Zimmerman.Butuntil they start replacing themselves at a better rate, unfortunately, we are in a fairly conservative regime."

In Canada, commercial and sport fishing is currently restricted until at least 51,000salmon have crossed into Yukon.

First Nation harvesting is allowed after only 30,000salmon have crossed.

The Salmon Sub-Committeeis recommending thosenumbers be increasedto 55,000 and 42,500 respectively.

International treaty obligations

Zimmerman says the tighter restrictions are in line with aninternational treatyobliging Alaskans to ensure at least 42,500 Chinook salmon reach Canadian spawning grounds.

Alaskans met those obligations last year for just the third time in eight years.

Early estimates for this year's Chinook salmon call forjust 60,000 to 70,000 fish a poor run by historical standards. In the 1990s, 300,000 salmon regularly made their way into the Yukon.

The Salmon Sub-Committee's recommendationsare being delivered to the federal Deparment ofFisheries and Oceans for review.