The Alaska Department of Fish and Game released an emergency order closing the Northern District of Upper Cook Inlet as of May 26, 2014.
Local Area Management Biologist Pat Shields detailed the closure.
Pat Shields: “To reduce the harvest of king salmon headed into those streams in Northern Cook Inlet we closed the first commercial fishery of the season for the Northern District which would be Monday, May 26. Then we took the next four periods and reduced them from a 12 hours opening per period to six hours per period. This is the same action we took last year again it’s to conserve or reduce the harvest of king salmon headed to the Northern Cook Inlet Streams.”
The Department release states that the Chuitna River drainage remain a stock of management concern and with a below-average outlook for the upcoming season that area will be managed conservatively throughout the 2014 season.
