Thursday’s scheduled commercial fishing period in the Kenai, Kasilof, and East Foreland sections has been extended.
An Alaska Department of Fish and Game emergency order No. 38 extends setgillnetting in the Kenai, Kasilof, and East Foreland sections of the Upper Subdistrict on Thursday,July 30, 2015, from 5:00 a.m. until 7:00 a.m. and from 7:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
This announcement also opens drift gillnetting in the Expanded Kenai and Expanded Kasilof sections of the Upper Subdistrict, and the Anchor Point Section of the Lower Subdistrict on Thursday, July 30, 2015, from 5:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.
According to 5AAC 21.353 Central District Drift Gillnet Fishery Management Plan, from July 16 through July 31, at run strengths of 2,300,000–4,600,000 sockeye salmon to the Kenai River, one regular 12-hour fishing period per week will be restricted to one or more of the following sections:
1) Expanded Kenai Section of the Upper Subdistrict;
2) Expanded Kasilof Section of the Upper Subdistrict;
3) Anchor Point Section of the Lower Subdistrict;
4) Drift Gillnet Area 1.
This fishing period is in compliance with the Central District Drift Gillnet Fishery Management Plan.
The estimated cumulative passage of sockeye salmon in the Kasilof River through Tuesday, July 28, was approximately 395,000 fish. This estimate of passage is in excess of both the biological escapement goal (BEG) of 160,000–340,000 and the optimal escapement goal (OEG) 160,000–390,000 fish for Kasilof River sockeye salmon.
The cumulative sockeye salmon passage estimate in the Kenai River through Tuesday, July 28, was approximately 792,000 fish. The inriver goal for Kenai River sockeye salmon runs of 2,300,000–4,600,000 fish is 1,000,000 to 1,200,000.
The current estimate of passage in the Kenai River through Tuesday, July 28, indicates the in-river goal will be met or exceeded.