The Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports that Upper Cook Inlet Commercial Fishing Announcement No. 13 opens commercial salmon fishing with set gillnets in the Kasilof Section of the Upper Subdistrict from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. today, July 7, 2021.
As announced in UCI Commercial Fishing Announcement No. 4, Kenai River Late-Run King Salmon Management Plan (5 AAC 21.359(e)(3)(B)) restricts the Upper Subdistrict set gillnet fishery to no more than 48 hours per week by Emergency Order (EO), with a 36-hour continuous closure per week beginning between 7:00 p.m. Thursday and 7:00 a.m. Friday. With regularly scheduled fishing periods on Mondays and Thursdays no longer in effect in the Upper Subdistrict set gillnet fishery, any and all fishing time may occur only via EO beginning June 20, 2021. With this fishing announcement, 30 hours of EO time will have been used for the week of July 4–July 10.
Also announced in UCI Commercial Fishing Announcement No. 4, when the Kenai River late run king salmon sport fishery is restricted, gear restrictions are in place for all Upper Subdistrict set gillnet fishermen from the beginning of the season through July 31, 2021. During this fishing period in the Kasilof Section of the Upper Subdistrict, legal gear is restricted to no more than two set gillnets per permit that are each not more than 35 fathoms in length and 29 meshes in depth, or no more than one set gillnet per permit that is not more than 35 fathoms in length and 45 meshes in depth. As a reminder, any set gillnet that is not more than 29 meshes in depth as part of this restrictive provision must be identified at the end of the gillnet with an attached blue buoy that is not less than nine and one-half inches in diameter.
This announcement also opens commercial salmon fishing with set gillnets (see below additional set gillnet gear restriction) from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. today, July 7, 2021 within 600 feet of the mean high tide mark in that portion of the Kenai Section north of the latitude of the Blanchard Line (60° 27.10ʹ N. lat.) and south of the latitude of the ADF&G regulatory marker (60° 30.49ʹ N. lat.) located south of the Kenai River mouth; i.e., the North Kalifornsky Beach statistical area (244-32). Following 5 AAC 21.310 (b) (2) (C) (ii), and UCI Commercial Fishing Announcement #4, during this opening in the North Kalifornsky Beach statistical area, legal gear is restricted to set gillnets that are no greater than 29 meshes in depth and with mesh sizes no greater than four and three quarters inches. Up to four set gillnets per permit may be used, each no greater than 35 fathoms in length and 105 fathoms in aggregate length. No set gillnets greater than 29 meshes in depth may be used in the North Kalifornsky Beach statistical area during this opening.
This announcement also opens drift gillnetting from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. today, July 7, 2021 to the Kasilof Section of the Upper Subdistrict only (not the Expanded Kasilof section). As of July 5, 2021, the cumulative sockeye salmon escapement estimate for the Kasilof River was 146,776 and average run timing was 29%, and the year-end escapement projection was 500,000 sockeye salmon. Fishing in the above described waters is warranted to harvest sockeye salmon returning to the Kasilof River.
Fishermen and processors are reminded of the legal requirement to report all commercially harvested salmon on a fish ticket, whether sold or kept for personal use, using the correct statistical fishing area or areas (5 AAC 39.130(c)(7)). Fish harvested in the set gillnet fishery during this fishing period should be reported in statistical areas 244-21, 244-22, 244-31, or 244-32. Fish harvested in the drift gillnet fishery during this fishing period should be reported in statistical areas 244-61.
