Commercial fishermen in the Upper Cook Inlet will be returning to regularly scheduled fishing periods Saturday after the Alaska Department of Fish and Game rescinded a previous emergency order.
Commercial Fisheries Biologist Pat Shields…
The department also lifted late-run king restrictions beginning Saturday, July 25.
The complete emergency order No. 31 which returns commercial fishermen to regularly scheduled openings can be read below:
Upper Cook Inlet Commercial Fishing Announcement No. 31 rescinds Emergency Order No. 2S-09-15 and returns management of the Upper Subdistrict set gillnet fishery to the provisions of 5 AAC 21.360 Kenai River Late-Run Sockeye Salmon Management Plan effective Saturday, July 25, 2015.
According to the Kenai River Late-Run Sockeye Salmon Management Plan, when Kenai River sockeye salmon run strengths are expected to range between 2,300,000 and 4,600,000 fish, the Upper Subdistrict set gillnet fishery may, by emergency order, be allowed up to 51 hours of additional fishing time per week beyond the two regularly scheduled fishing periods on Mondays and Thursdays from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
In addition, the department shall also close the Upper Subdistrict set gillnet fishery for one continuous 24-hour period per week beginning between 7:00 p.m. Monday and 7:00 a.m. Wednesday, and for one continuous 36-hour period per week beginning between 7:00 p.m. Thursday and 7:00 a.m. Friday.
As of July 23, 2015, an inseason assessment projects the inriver run of late-run king salmon to the Kenai River will be greater than 22,500 fish.
Based on this assessment, beginning on Saturday,July 25, 2015, bait is being returned to the Kenai and Kasilof rivers king salmon sport fisheries, retention of king salmon in the Kenai River dip net fishery will be allowed (see 2-KS-2-46-15; 2- KS-47-15; and 2-KS-48-15), and the restriction of no more than 36 hours of fishing time per week to the Upper Subdistrict set gillnet fishery is eliminated.
