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Commercial Fishermen in Alaska Want to Catch More Snake River Fall Chinook by Idaho Power Connections, June 2015

A group associated with commercial fishermen in southeast Alaska
has petitioned NMFS to review the fish's "threatened" status.

The successful return of fall Chinook Salmon to the Snake River has gotten the attention of commercial fishermen in Alaska.

Idaho Power has worked with state and federal agencies and regional tribes for more than 20 years to restore the once-endangered salmon. Now a group associated with commercial fishermen in southeast Alaska has petitioned the National Marine Fisheries Service to review the fish's "threatened" status, which could ultimately open the door to increased commercial harvest of the salmon while they are in the ocean.

The group says there is little or no risk of the fish's extinction based on the number of wild Chinook that spawned in the Snake River last year. Idaho Power surveys the number of salmon nests (redds) each year in collaboration with the Nez Perce Tribe. A record number of redds were counted in 2014.

Idaho Power actively manages flows out of Hells Canyon Dam to maintain favorable spawning and rearing conditions for the salmon. The company is also part of a larger hatchery supplementation effort which has contributed to the increased numbers.