Yakutat tlingit village residents depend on the resources of the yakutat foreland and the situk river which support an abundance of fish and wildlife including all five species of pacific salmon and…

Yakutat tlingit village residents depend on the resources of the yakutat foreland and the situk river which support an abundance of fish and wildlife including all five species of pacific salmon and eulachon both of which are important subsistence resources for tribal members. Subsistence fisheries in yakutat are managed by both federal and state agencies. Eulachon is solely a federal subsistence fishery, while salmon is managed by a combination of federal and state agencies. Salmon and eulachon populations have seen declines in recent years which has impacted tribal members ability to meet their subsistence needs. Additionally, historic and recent development projects have impacted habitat used by salmon and eulachon for spawning and rearing, further impacting these subsistence species. YTT secured its partners program grant (2020-2023) and began to CO-manage the fishery. This CO-management approach has allowed more local indigenous knowledge from tribal and yakutat community members to influence federal subsistence management decisions. YTT s fisheries staff can convey information to local subsistence users, as well as report comments and concerns directly to the regional advisory board and federal subsistence board. Continued funding for YTT fisheries program is essential to ensure this unique blend of indigenous knowledge and western science drives the decisions made at the federal level that directly impact so many tribal and rural community stakeholders. The partners program is an invaluable tool that has and will continue to allow tribal and yakutat community members to engage meaningfully with the subsistence management at the federal level. YTT s fisheries program endeavors to work with federal subsistence managers to responsibly CO-manage subsistence fisheries with sound data and insights that only local indigenous knowledge and observations can offer.