An update on the work of NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Salmon Research Task Force is to be provided during an in-person meeting in Anchorage Nov. 14 and Nov. 15, as well as virtually.
The task force was created by an act of Congress, in response to unprecedented declines in humpy and Chinook salmon on the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers. Under that act, the National Marine Fisheries Service, on behalf of the Secretary of Commerce, is required to convene the task force to identify data gaps and develop a collaborative science plan for sustainable management of salmon in Alaska.
The task force is mandated to review and report on research about Pacific salmon in Alaska, identify applied research needed to better understand salmon migration and declining salmon returns in some areas of Alaska, and to support sustainable management of salmon.
Subsequently, the task force is slated to have three more virtual meetings in January, March and May, before issuing its final report on June 27, 2024. These virtual meetings are open to the public.
Task force members include fisheries scientist Andrew Munro of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Ed Farley of NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Fisheries Science Center; Bill Templin, Alaska Department of Fish and Game; Andrew Piston, Pacific Salmon Commission; and 15 others, including retired U.S. Coast Guardsman Tom Carpenter of Cordova.
