The Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports Upper Cook Inlet Commercial Fishing Announcement No. 31 rescinds Emergency Order No. 2S-13-22 and closes set gillnetting in that portion of the Western Subdistrict south of the latitude of Redoubt Point, effective immediately. The area then reopens to set gillnetting during regular fishing periods only, on Mondays and Thursdays from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., beginning on Monday, August 8, 2022, at 7:00 a.m.
Emergency Order 2S-13-22 was issued on Friday, July 8, 2022, opening commercial salmon fishing with set gillnets in that portion of the Western Subdistrict of the Central District south of the latitude of Redoubt Point from 6:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays each week until further notice. That action was taken to reduce the escapement rate of sockeye salmon returning to the Crescent River. Based upon historic run timing and a decrease in the harvest of sockeye salmon, a reduction of fishing time by returning to a regular fishing schedule in this area is warranted. This announcement rescinds Emergency Order 2S-13-22.
Additionally, UCI Announcement No. 32 opens set and drift gillnetting in the Chinitna Bay Subdistrict of the Central District on Tuesdays and Fridays from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., beginning at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 9, 2022. These openings will continue until closed or changed by emergency order.
NOTE: the Chinitna Bay Subdistrict includes those waters west of a line from Spring Point to Sea Otter Point. During these fishing periods, waters open to drift gillnetting in Chinitna Bay occur east of a line from the crane on the south shore at 59° 49.91′ N. lat., 153° 05.47′ W. long., to the ADF&G regulatory marker on Glacier Spit at 59° 51.67′ N. lat., 153° 07.92′ W. long (5 AAC 21.330(c)).
An aerial survey of Chinitna River/Clearwater Creek was conducted on August 3, 2022. This survey produced an estimate of approximately 4,681 chum salmon resident in these streams. The chum salmon aerial survey sustainable escapement goal (SEG) for Chinitna River/Clearwater Creek is 3,500–8,000 fish. Therefore, opening Chinitna Bay to set and drift gillnetting as described in this announcement is warranted.
Fish harvested in Chinitna Bay should be reported in statistical area 245-10.
Lastly, UCI Commercial Fishing Announcement No. 33 opens commercial fishing with drift gillnets in Drift Gillnet Area 1, the Expanded Kenai, Expanded Kasilof, and Anchor Point sections of the Central District from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Monday, August 8, 2022.
No Upper Subdistrict set gillnet fishing periods will be opened unless the Kenai River late run king salmon abundance improves. All other set gillnet fisheries in UCI, outside of the Upper Subdistrict, will fish the regulatory scheduled period from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Monday, August 8, 2022.
Brian Marston, Area Management Biologist, writes that, as of August 6, Kasilof River sockeye salmon escapement is approximately 897,883 fish and 93% complete, projecting a final escapement of 966,000 fish. The biological escapement goal for Kasilof River sockeye salmon of 140,000 to 320,000 has been exceeded. In the Kenai River, sockeye salmon escapement is approximately 1,37,405 fish and 74% complete, projecting an in river run of 1.8 to 2.0 million sockeye salmon based on average to 3 day late run timings.Fish harvested in this drift gillnet fishing period should be reported in statistical area 244-60. During the
Tuesday and Friday Chinitna Bay openers, drifters are reminded that all fish harvested in Chinitna Bay, will need to be on a separate fish ticket and should be reported in statistical area 245-10.
