ACTION ALERT! ACTION ALERT! ACTION ALERT!
ACTION ALERT! ACTION ALERT!
ACTION ALERT!
Set Net Fishery Targeting Russian River Early Run Sockeye Near the
Kenai River Mouth Is an Unexpected, Unacceptable Practice
The Alaska Department of Fish &Game (ADF&G) approved set net fishing near the
mouth of the Kenai River, as an effort to begin to raise $60,000 to fund a sockeye fishery
assessment for the Upper Cook Inlet commercial fishing season in July. This “cost recovery”
commercial fishery is operating this week, targeting Russian River early run sockeye and also
impacting Kenai River early run kings.
Set net fishing near the mouth of the Kenai River during a time of questionable salmon
run strength raises serious, critical questions for and about ADF&G, especially considering the
recent early run king salmon closure. Why are priority June sport fisheries are now being
targeted specifically to fund a July commercial fisheries monitoring program?
Cost recovery programs are discretionary in nature and could easily be conducted during
the July sockeye commercial fisheries. Without ever having been addressed through the Board of
Fisheries (BOF) public process, this action by ADF&G is a de facto reallocation of 6,000 fish
away from the highly anticipated and popular June sport fishery of Russian River early run
sockeye.
ADF&G Commercial Fisheries Division’s lack of communication on this set net fishery
is stunning in its arrogance. No one in the local community was notified about this controversial
fishery prior to its execution at 12:01 am, Tuesday, June 15th, the precise moment the Kenai
River reopened to retention of early run king salmon.
The action of this set net “cost recovery” fishery is an unexpected, unacceptable practice.
The bottom line is that it appears ADF&G has been and is allowing a cost recovery program to
be operated by an independent contractor, with little or no oversight and with little or no
apparent regard for well established Upper Cook Inlet salmon management plans developed
through the BOF public process over many years.
Since 1974, as outlined in the Russian River Sockeye Salmon Management Plan (5 AAC
57.150), the Russian River early run sockeye stocks have been managed as primarily a sport
fishery, without directed harvest from any commercial fishery. Additionally, the Kenai River
early run King Salmon Management Plan (5 AAC 57.160) states that the department shall
manage the Kenai River early run king salmon primarily for sport and guided sport fisheries to
achieve the optimal escapement goal. With set nets in the water near the mouth of the Kenai
River throughout this week, for long hours unattended, incidental catch of Kenai River early run
king salmon is unavoidable just as it is during other commercial set net openings.
The cost recovery program is targeting 6,000 Russian River early run sockeye – it is
uncertain at this moment how long the department will have to conduct this fishery until the
harvest goal of 6,000 is reached. As of today, less than 500 sockeyes have reached the weir on
the Russian River.
As advocates for meaningful and predictable sport fishing opportunity, KRSA finds the
situation wrong on many levels and asks that the department stop this discretionary set net “cost
recovery” fishery immediately.
We encourage you to contact ADF&G Commercial Fisheries Division, the Governor’s
office, and your local legislators to voice your opinion on this important issue.
PLEASE CALL:
Director of Commercial Fisheries, John Hilsinger:
Governor Sean Parnell:
Representative Mike Chenault:
Representative Kurt Olson:
907-267-2324
907-269-7450
907-283-7223
907-283-2690
Additionally, members of the Alaska Board of Fisheries can be reached through BOF
Executive Director, Jim Marcotte at jim.marcotte@alaska.gov.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this important alert from Kenai River
Sportfishing Association.