Access Decision by users, species and districts for 2003-2022 in the Yukon River Drainage

Salmon populations in the Yukon are dwindling, prompting Alaskan fishery officials to restrict user access. This study uses stock status indicators and historical records to evaluate the consistency of stock access decisions across the dimensions of time, species, and users. We operationalize “subsistence preference,” the legal requirement to allow preferential access to traditional users when stocks are depressed, and test for its implementation. We find that decisions to close, restrict, or allow fishing are moderately consistent across the three dimensions. However, we find little evidence of those decisions honoring the required “subsistence preference.” We complement these quantitative analyses with semi-structured interviews with traditional subsistence users regarding their perceptions of these decision-making processes and their outcomes. These interviews reveal themes of heartbreak, anxiety, and frustration. Our results suggest that restricting access is far better than closure for transitional users and more consistent with “subsistence preference.” These are the data for access decision analyses.