Authorities in Kamchatka Krai have approved a framework for traditional Pacific salmon fishing by the Indigenous peoples of the North. A specialized commission has designated thirty sites across the peninsula where net fishing will occur simultaneously with commercial and recreational seasons. Synchronizing these schedules is designed to reduce the risk of poaching and simplify the monitoring of spawning rivers.
Strict limitations apply to the Avacha Gulf basin, which encompasses Avacha Bay and the Avacha River. Due to high anthropogenic pressure, all other forms of net fishing in this area are closed, and traditional fishing is restricted to two seven-day windows. The first phase will run from July 25 to July 31, accompanied by a total ban on nighttime fishing. Dates for the August phase will be determined later – the decision will depend on the intensity of fish migration to the spawning grounds.
Several traditional fishing zones have been removed from use for security reasons. During the 2026 fishing season, no sites will be allocated in the waters of Bogatyrevka, Krasheninnikova, and Zavoyko bays, where civil activities are restricted. In the vicinity of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Yelizovo, fishing is permitted in only three locations: a coastal section near the Galeas cold storage facility, and two sites on the Avacha River located near the Avachinsky airfield and the settlement of Razdolny.
Regulations for traditional fishing remain flexible in the northern municipalities of the region. Residents of the Aleutsky, Karaginsky, Olyutorsky, Penzhinsky, and Tigilsky districts are permitted to set nets outside designated fishing sites. To support the food security of local communities, salmon harvesting is also authorized directly along nomadic routes and at reindeer herding camps.