UPPER COOK INLET COMMERCIAL FISHING ANNOUNCEMENT No. 4
EMERGENCY ORDER NUMBER 2-F-H-04-23
Upper Cook Inlet Commercial Fishing Announcement No. 4 opens commercial salmon fishing with drift gillnets from 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in the Expanded Kasilof Section of the Upper Subdistrict only. Additionally, this announcement extends the drift gillnet fishing regular period on Monday June 26, 2023, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in the Expanded Kasilof Section of the Upper Subdistrict only.
Beginning Saturday June 24, drift gillnet fishing activity must remain at least one and one-half miles from the Kenai Peninsula shoreline south of the Kenai River and at least one mile from the Kenai Peninsula shoreline north of the Kenai River during additional and regularly scheduled commercial fishing periods.
Through June 21, the cumulative sockeye salmon escapement estimate for the Kasilof River was 38,008 fish and the current mean run timing projection of escapement is approximately 450,000 sockeye salmon which exceeds the biological escapement goal of 140,000–320,000 sockeye salmon. Fishing in the above-described waters is warranted to target sockeye salmon returning to the Kasilof River, while minimizing the harvest of Chinook salmon.
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 drift gillnet fishery during the Expanded Kasilof Section only fishing period should be reported in statistical areas 244-62. Fish harvested during the district wide commercial fishing period should be reported in statistical area 244-60.
UPPER COOK INLET COMMERCIAL FISHING ANNOUNCEMENT NO. 5
Emergency Order 2-F-H-05-23
Upper Cook Inlet Commercial Fishing Announcement No. 5 reduces the Northern District set gillnet commercial salmon fishing period time on Monday June 26, and Thursday June 29, 2023, from 12 to 8 hours, commercial set gillnet fishing will be allowed from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Chinook salmon projections of escapement for Northern Cook Inlet streams indicate that escapement goals may not be met. The above restriction is warranted to help increase Chinook salmon escapements into Northern Cook Inlet streams.