The Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports Upper Cook Inlet (UCI) Commercial Fishing Announcement No. 29 opens commercial fishing with drift gillnets in Drift Gillnet Area 1, the Expanded Kenai, Expanded Kasilof, and Anchor Point sections of the Central District from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Monday, August 1, 2022.
Area Management Biologist Brian Marston says that 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 regulatory scheduled period from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Monday, August 1, 2022, except for set gillnet fishing in the Western Subdistrict of the Central District south of Redoubt Point, which will be open as per Emergency Order 2S-13-22, from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Marston adds that, as of July 30, Kasilof River sockeye salmon escapement is approximately 819,745 fish and 83% complete, projecting a final escapement of 990,000 fish. The biological escapement goal for Kasilof River sockeye salmon of 140,000 to 320,000 has been exceeded. In the Kenai River, sockeye salmon escapement is approximately 1,192,013 fish and 57% complete, projecting an in river run of 2.0 to 2.4 million sockeye salmon based on average to 3 day late run timings.
Marston also says that UCI Commercial Fishing Announcement No. 28 continued gear restrictions, reducing 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 Monday, August 1, 2022, and from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 4, 2022. 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.
Fish harvested in this drift gillnet fishing period should be reported in statistical areas 244-60.