Upper Cook Inlet Commercial Fishing Announcement No. 44 opens set and drift gillnetting in the Chinitna Bay Subdistrict of the Central District on Tuesdays and Fridays from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., beginning at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, August 20, 2021. These openings will continue until closed or changed by emergency order. The Chinitna Bay Subdistrict includes those waters west of a line from Spring Point to Sea Otter Point. During these fishing periods, waters open to drift gillnetting in Chinitna Bay occur east of a line from the crane on the south shore at 59° 49.91′ N. lat., 153° 05.47′ W. long., to the ADF&G regulatory marker on Glacier Spit at 59° 51.67′ N. lat., 153° 07.92′ W. long (5 AAC 21.330(c)).
An aerial survey of Chinitna River/Clearwater Creek was conducted on August 16, 2021. This survey produced an estimate of approximately 9,440 chum salmon resident in these streams. The chum salmon aerial survey sustainable escapement goal (SEG) for Chinitna River/Clearwater Creek is 3,500–8,000 fish. Therefore, opening Chinitna Bay to set and drift gillnetting as described in this announcement is warranted.
Regulatory drift gillnet fishing periods in Drift Gillnet Area 3 and 4 of the Central District will continue on Mondays and Thursdays 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. for the remainder of the UCI salmon fishing season, until closed or changed by emergency order.
Set gillnet fishing periods in the Northern District, Chinitna Bay, Western, Kalgin Island, and Kustatan Subdistricts of the Central District, will continue the regulatory open fishing periods on Mondays and Thursdays 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., until closed or changed by emergency order.
