Alaska Department of Fish and Game Upper Cook Inlet Drift Gillnet Fishing announcements are troubling

The Alaska State Constitution in Article 8 Section 4 concerning (Sustained Yield) states, “FIsh, Forests, Grasslands, and all other replenishable resources belonging to the State shall be utilized, developed and maintained on the sustained yield principle, subject to preferences among beneficial uses.”

Since Northern Cook Inlet king, sockeye, coho, chum and pink salmon are all fish resources of the State of Alaska (SOA) management of these resources has a constitutional mandate, to be, “. . . maintained on a sustained yield basis, subject to preference among beneficial uses.” The Central District Drift Gillnet Fishery Management Plan (CDDGFMP) was adopted by the Alaska Board of Fisheries to ensure sustained yield management of Northern Cook Inlet salmon stocks and allocate salmon harvests of Northern Cook Inlet salmon stocks amongst beneficial uses.

The State’s 2025 drift gillnet fishery management announcement appears to contradict (or at least misrepresent) the statutory language found in CDDGFMP, additional Upper Cook Inlet Commercial Fishery regulations, and Article 8 Section 4 of the State Constitution.

On page 3 of ADF&G’s announcement under the Overview, bullet point 1 concerning the purpose of the CDDGFMP leaves out a key element within the plan, “The department shall manage the commercial drift gillnet fishery to minimize the harvest of Northern District salmon and Kenai River coho salmon in order to provide all users with a reasonable opportunity to harvest these salmon stocks over the entire run, as measured by the frequency of inriver restrictions.”

This Board of Fisheries adopted statutory language can be found on page 21 of the 2024 — 2027 Cook Inlet and Statewide Commercial Salmon Regulations in the first paragraph under 5AAC 21.353. This is significant language written to ensure (within reason) allowable commercial regulations be adjusted (by the ADF&G Commissioner’s emergency order authority) to ensure that Northern Cook Inlet salmon stocks harvest opportunities for all users extends throughout the entire season. The authority for the Commissioner to adjust allowable regulations is listed in point (h) at the end of the CDDGFMP.

Therefore, given apparent lack of adequate Northern Cook Inlet coho salmon spawning escapements, combined with widespread and escalating inseason restrictions and closures to Northern Cook Inlet coho salmon harvest opportunities for both Northern Cook Inlet sport and commercial user groups during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, ADF&G should provide adaptive conservative management, rather than employing maximum commercial drift gillnet harvest opportunity allowed under the plan. In my opinion, the purpose of the plan is listed first, because that purpose should have priority over providing maximum drift gillnet fishery harvest opportunity of Northern Cook Inlet bound salmon stocks.

Two additional significant points are that UCI commercial regulation 5AAC 21.320 states, “(b) In the drift gillnet fishery,

(1) salmon may be taken in the Central District from 7 a.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Monday and from 7 a.m. Thursday until 7 p.m. Thursday, except salmon may be taken

in the Chinitna Bay Subdistrict only during periods established by emergency order;”

The word “May,” is an important point ADF&G left out of the fourth bullet of the announcement Overview. Drift gillnet opening on Mondays and Thursdays may occur, however they may also be adjusted / closed under the CDDGFMP for conservation / allocation purposes. Such adjustments have been made in the past and will likely need to made in 2025 to ensure ADF&G management follows the purpose of the plan, Commercial regulations, and the State Constitution.

Regulation (A) was listed above, because the regulation only allows drift gillnet openings in SOA waters (excluding Chinitna Bay) unless adjusted by the Commissioner’s emergency order authority). This differs significantly from the ADF&G announcement statement:

“Under Inseason Management: Prior to July 8 — Regulations specify District Wide Monday / Thursday fishing periods. While ADF&G past management may have allowed district wide drift gillnet opening prior to July 8, I could find nothing in the CDDGFMP or UCI commercial salmon regulations that specifically mentioned that drift gillnet openings prior to July 8 are required and/or required to occur on a Central District Wide basis. In order to fulfill the purpose paragraph of the CDDGFMP, 2025 may be a season when SOA drift gillnet openings prior to July 8 may need adjustment. Drift gillnet permit holders would still be allowed to fish the entire Federal Cook Inlet EEZ waters during regular Monday / Thursday openings prior to July 8.

There are more troubling inaccuracies within this ADF&G 2025 Upper Cook Inlet Drift Gillnet announcement, that I may delve into in the future. It appears troubling that ADF&G commercial staff may either have false ideas of what the CDDGFMP and UCI Commercial Salmon Fishing regulations allow / require. It is more troubling to consider, if the commercial fisheries division clearly understands the management plan and Upper Cook Inlet commercial salmon fishing regulations — this public announcement appears very misleading.

Good Luck and Fish On

While Andy Couch is a member of the Matanuska - Susitna Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Matanuska Valley Fish and Game Advisory Committee, statements opinions expressed in this column are his own, unless specified otherwise.