The number of citations issued during the 2015 Kenai and Kasilof Personal Use Fisheries dropped this year.
Most of the dipnet authorities agree, the Kenai dipnet fishery is improving each year, including Kenai City Manager Rick Koch.
Koch: “It’s kind of in the context of a dance, the city is one dance partner and the public is another one and we’re getting better at the dance.”
Kasilof River’s personal –use salmon dipnet season began June 25 through August 7 and the Kenai River fishery runs from July 10 through July 31.
Alaska Wildlife Troopers and Fish and Game wardens issued 279 citations between June 15 and July 31 this year, down from 561 over the same period last year.
Those numbers include citations to personal use, commercial, and sport fishing individuals along with boating violations.
Authorities only issued 75 Kenai and Kasilof personal use citations this year, compared to 2014’s 396 tickets.
This year saw lower boating(6/16) and commercial fishing violations(15/53), however sport fishing tickets increased from 93 last year to 183 in 2015.
Less law enforcement personnel may be a contributing factor in the fewer overall citations.
As we previously reported, the Alaska Wildlife Troopers did not receive the 2-6 temporary assignment officers that are usually sent to the peninsula during the busy summer season.