
Bears cross the street from the Chilkoot weir to the woods. (Abbey Collins)
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is ramping up safety measures at its Chilkoot River weir in Haines. Earlier this week, an electric fence was installed along the weir, in an effort to keep bears and people separate.
The weir is where a Fish and Game employee is stationed to count salmon returning to the Chilkoot River. It’s also a preferred spot for bears looking to catch their dinner. The likelihood of seeing the animals draws people to the spot as well.
Anthony Crupi is a wildlife biologist with ADF&G. He said the need for an electric fence was recognized several years ago.
“With the primary reason of keeping bears and people separated,” Crupi said. “We’re trying to define a boundary for the safety of the Fish and Game technicians who run the weir, to keep a safe space between the bears and the people working on the weir.”
Bears fish in the river, but when they climb up onto the weir, it becomes a safety concern for the department.
“Bears have been walking down the weir and the guy trying to do his job has a hard time doing that when there’s bears on the same planks as him,” Crupi said.
It’s not unusual for Fish and Game to use this tool.
“We’ve installed systems like this all over Southeast Alaska,” Crupi said. “And they are successful in keeping bears away from chickens, around cabins, airplanes, grey water systems, things like that.”
The electric fence runs the span of the weir on the upstream side. Crupi said it won’t affect the bears ability to fish.
“Bears have full access to feed in front of the weir and catch fish like they have been doing,” Crupi said.
And, he said it does not introduce a new risk to the wellbeing of the animals.
“A lot of people have been concerned that the bears will get electrocuted and then end up drowning,” Crupi said. “There is no way this is going to cause any long-term harm to the animals. And the wires are set up high enough that the bear only gets in contact with it if it’s trying to get up onto the weir.”
Crupi said the fence has a low electric current.
“The idea is that it gets a pulse wave of electricity. And what that does is when the bear makes contact with that, it gives them a shock and they learn that is the boundary they shouldn’t cross,” Crupi said.
Right now, Crupi says it’s important to recognize the bears are facing a very low run of pink salmon.
“Pink salmon is what the bears on the Chilkoot River really forage on this time of year to put on enough fat to survive hibernation,” Crupi said. “With only 5,000 fish having gone through the weir so far, bears are certainly on edge and really having to compete with each other for access to the spots where they can catch the pink salmon.”
Crupi says the electric fence will stay up as long as the weir is in for the season. But, he says if there were to be a problem with it, the tool would immediately be taken out.
Chilkoot has a new bear family ! A sow and her cub . Their names are HUGGS for the mom. KISSES for the wee lassie . They look hungry, we have the best fish on the planet at the Chilkoot . What a match