The Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports Upper Cook Inlet (UCI) Commercial Fishing Announcement No. 28 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 Wednesday, July 28, 2021. As a reminder no Upper Subdistrict set gillnet fishing periods will be opened unless the Kenai River late run king salmon abundance improves.
As of July 26, Kasilof River sockeye salmon escapement is approximately 359,964 fish and 76% complete based on average run timing. The biological escapement goal for Kasilof River sockeye salmon of 140,000 to 320,000 has been exceeded, and the current count projects a final escapement of 469,000 fish. In the Kenai River, average sockeye salmon passage into the Kenai River is 51% complete through July 26, projecting an in river run of 1.2 to 1.4 million sockeye salmon based on average to 3 day late run timings.
On July 27, 2021, Upper Cook Inlet (UCI) Commercial Fisheries staff estimated the total UCI sockeye salmon run through July 26 to be 2.7 million fish. The department projects the total UCI sockeye salmon run for 2021 to be 3.9 million fish. The estimated Kenai River sockeye salmon stock through July 26 is 1.4 million fish. The department projects the total Kenai River sockeye salmon run to be 2.1 million fish and will likely be 2 to 9 days late in run timing.
The preseason forecast for the Kenai River sockeye salmon return was 2.33 million fish. With this inseason assessment, management of the Upper Subdistrict set gillnet and Central District drift gillnet commercial fisheries will change and fall under the regulations for run sizes less than 2.3 million Kenai River sockeye salmon. Based on this projected run size, the Kenai River sockeye salmon inriver goal range is 1.0 to 1.2 million fish.