The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) met by public teleconference on June 8, 2023. The Board voted to reject Wildlife Special Action requests WSA22-05 and WSA22-06. The Board stated that an immediate reduction to four caribou per year would be detrimental to subsistence needs. The Board acknowledged the need to focus on caribou conservation and that reductions in harvest limits may be needed in the future. Four proposals affecting the Western Arctic Caribou herd have been submitted for the 2024-2026 Federal wildlife regulatory cycle and will be considered by the Board at its spring 2024 wildlife regulatory meeting.
Temporary Wildlife Special Action Request WSA22-05, submitted by the Northwest Arctic Subsistence Regional Advisory Council, requested the Board to reduce the caribou harvest limit in Unit 23 from five caribou per day to four caribou per year, only one of which may be a cow, for the remainder of the 2022-2024 regulatory cycle.
Temporary Wildlife Special Action Request WSA22-06, submitted by the Western Interior Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Council, requested the Board to reduce the caribou harvest limit across the range of the Western Arctic Caribou Herd from five caribou per day to four caribou per year, only one of which may be a cow, for the remainder of the 2022-2024 regulatory cycle. Specifically, reduce the harvest limit in Units 21D remainder, 24A remainder, 24B remainder, 24C, 24D, and all caribou hunt areas within Units 22, 23, and 26A.
Information about the Federal Subsistence Management Program may be found on the web at www.doi.gov/subsistence or by visiting www.facebook.com/subsistencealaska.
This news release was issued on June 12th, 2023 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
