Upper Cook Inlet (UCI) Commercial Fishing Announcement No. 25 opens commercial fishing with drift gillnets in the Expanded Kenai, Expanded Kasilof, and Anchor Point sections of the Central District from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 22, 2021.
As a reminder 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 regularly scheduled period from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 22, 2021.
As of July 20, Kasilof River sockeye salmon escapement is approximately 283,000 fish and 63% complete based on average run timing. The biological escapement goal for Kasilof River sockeye salmon is 140,000 to 320,000, with projections of final escapement of 452,000 fish. In the Kenai River, average sockeye salmon passage into the Kenai River is 33% complete through July 20, projecting an in river run of 980,000 to 1.4 million sockeye salmon based on average to 3 day late run timings.
Also as a reminder, UCI Commercial Fishing Announcement No. 24 reduced legal set gillnet gear in the Northern District of Upper Cook Inlet during the regulatory fishing periods from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 22, 2021, from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Monday, July 26, 2021, and from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 29, 2021. In the General Subdistrict, of the Northern District, legal gear during these fishing periods will be reduced to no more than one net per permit, measuring no more than 35 fathoms in length. In the Eastern Subdistrict, of the Northern District, legal gear during these fishing periods will be reduced to no more than two set gillnets per permit, with each set gillnet measuring no more than 35 fathoms in length with the aggregate net length not to exceed 70 fathoms.
