The Kenai City Council met Wednesday night to discus the situation surrounding the East side set net fishery.
The resolution (2023-63) would give permission for the council to request Governor Mike Dunleavy to release an proclamation, stating that the Upper Cook Inlet East Side Set Net Fishery is in an Economic Disaster. It would also ask for the Governor’s support in a recovery plan.
Before anyone from the public spoke, Mayor Gabriel asked that he been exempted from this vote, and he personally does practice fishing within the East side. With this in mind, Vice Mayor Henry Knackstedt led the discussion.
Vice President of the Kenai Peninsula fishermen’s Association Ken Coleman came up to the podium and shared the associations concerns, and why there needed to be a recovery plan in place. This was the fifth time in six years that the group is asking for a recovery plan.
“We are some 435 small business members now who for many years haven’t been able to apply our craft and and and put money in the bank for many people puts up food and shelter, pay taxes and be a part of these communities. We are some 80 some percent local folks. And those dollars circulate in these communities. Six to seven times and those just aren’t made up in any other fashion.’
Coleman explains that the association has been struggling to have income for themselves since 2018 due to the struggles they have had with the salmon population. He also worries that this could potentially become similar to the Bristol Bay situation back in the mid 1980’s, where the dock closed because of the lack of sockeye salmon. In this situation, it’s king salmon.
Council member Sounart volunteered to be a co-sponsor for this resolution. After some debates and amendments were made, it was time to take a vote.
The resolution then passed with 6 members in favor, and Mayor Gabriel abstaining from this current voting process.