ADF&G announces more coho restrictions

MAT-SU — A pair of Alaska Department of Fish and Game emergency orders will put more limits on salmon fishing in areas of the Valley.

The department’s Division of Sport Fish announced Wednesday that effective today, sportfishing for coho (silver) salmon is prohibited on the Little Susitna River, and the possession limit for coho in Jim Creek is reduced from two fish to one.

The Little Su restriction includes all waters of the river from its confluence with Cook Inlet upstream to the Parks Highway, the Division of Sport Fish says in a release announcing the order. The move is deemed necessary in light of missed sustainable escapement goals for coho salmon in the Little Su. The goal was missed in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

This year, the sport fish exit survey at the Little Su Public Use Facility also “indicates mostly below-average catch rates (which is) supported by guide and angler reports of below-average fishing success under good fishing conditions,” the release says.

By Aug. 8, about 40 percent of the run has historically passed upstream to the counting weir, but the weir count through Tuesday was 515. The sustainable escapement goal for the season is 10,100 to 17.700 fish.

For Jim Creek, reducing the bag limit on coho salmon also comes with a restriction on fishing time. Beginning Friday, fishing in the creek is open only from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“Given the weak showing of coho salmon in Jim Creek, it is warranted to restrict recreational fishing activity at this time,” the division says in its announcement of the emergency order.

Fish, Cottonwood and Wasilla creeks are excluded from this restriction, the release says. The escapement goal for Fish Creek is expected to be achieved, and Cottonwood and Wasilla creeks typically mirror Fish Creek.

Fish, Cottonwood and Wasilla creeks are already limited by regulation to weekend-only fishing and a two-fish bag limit, said Sam Ivey, area biologist for the Division of Sport Fish’s Palmer office. As for the rest of the coho run, it’s not any better than last year, he said.

“The coho timing’s all over the board, so they can come in early, they can come in on time, they could come in really late,” he said. “The later we get into the season, the less likely (easing up on restrictions) is to happen.”

Today’s restrictions continue a frustrating season for the local sport fishing industry.

The season began with significant restrictions on king salmon fishing in the Northern Cook Inlet. Those restrictions included an annual limit of two king salmon 20 inches or longer for the Little Susitna River fishery, along with the Deshka River limited to no-bait, one single-hook artificial lure fishing for kings.

Having to deal with sport fishing restrictions comes with the territory, said Amber Allen, owner of Millers Riverboat Service in Wasilla. But she admits to being confused as to why ADF&G doesn’t do more to protect the resource from commercial fishing as well. That not enough coho salmon are getting into local streams is a problem that needs to be dealt with at the source, she said.

A season full of emergency orders has “definitely impacted our bookings,” Allen said. “You don’t want to book a bunch of people when the fishing’s not that good. A lot of our clients are return clients, so you want to treat them right. Also, a lot of the local people are going out less because they heard about the emergency orders.”

Allen said she doesn’t question the need to protect the coho resource.

“This is the worst season we have seen so far with silvers, hands down,” she said. “Normally, you fish for six hours and people can catch two or three for their limit, but this is a really bad season.”

One reason the returns in Upper Cook Inlet waters may be so poor is because coho are being overfished before they reach the rivers, Allen speculated.

“There are driftnetters out there and there are no restrictions on them,” she said. “Closing down the sportfishing does something, but if the fish aren’t even getting into the (rivers), what are you going to do? To us, salmon are like gold. They’re a precious resource, and if they have to restrict us more for it to get better in future years, so be it. But they should restrict the commercial fishermen, too.”

Based on the numbers of returns measured at weirs, counted by boat and reported by guides, the Division of Sport Fish was forced to make the emergency orders, Ivey said.

“We need to save the remaining fish that normally would be harvested from this time forward,” he said, adding that other species are strong. “We’re having a really big pink (salmon) year because it’s an even year, and also a big chum year.”

The Division of Sport Fish reports that if coho run strength improves for Jim Creek and can support a larger harvest, the restrictions may be lifted; however, if the run doesn’t improve, more restrictions are possible.

Contact reporter Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.