Upper Cook Inlet (UCI) Commercial Fishing Announcement No. 31 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 2, 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 regulatory scheduled period from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Monday, August 2, 2021.
Drift gillnetters are reminded that Chinitna Bay Subdistrict remains closed unless opened by an emergency order that specifies those waters are open.
As of July 30, Kasilof River sockeye salmon escapement is approximately 405,793 fish and 84% 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 482,000 fish. In the Kenai River, average sockeye salmon passage into the Kenai River is 62% complete through July 30, projecting an in river run of 1.3 to 1.5 million sockeye salmon based on average to 3 day late run timings.
ALSO –
Upper Cook Inlet Commercial Fishing Announcement No. 32 continues gear reductions in the Northern District set gillnet fishery of Upper Cook Inlet during the regulatory fishing periods from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Monday, August 2, 2021 and from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Thursday August 5, 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.
All of the Northern District set gillnet fishery will return to a full complement of gear, as described in 5 AAC 21.331 Gillnet Specifications and Operations, beginning at 7:00 a.m. on Monday, August 9, 2021.
5 AAC 21.358 Northern District Salmon Management Plan allows the department to conservatively manage the commercial fishery in the Northern District while sockeye salmon abundance monitoring continues to better understand the productivity of Susitna River sockeye salmon. The Northern District Salmon Management Plan provides the department with the option of reducing gear in the Northern District set gillnet fishery from July 20 through August 6. If the department determines that Susitna River sockeye salmon escapement goals will be achieved, the gear restrictions may be relaxed by emergency order.
