Board of Fisheries invests in Northern Cook Inlet coho salmon

Friday March 20, 2026 — At approximately 1 p.m. by a 4-2 vote the Alaska Board of Fisheries (BOF) adopted regulation that would better accomplish purpose language in 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.”

While the Central District drift gillnet fleet will likely retain more access to Upper Cook Inlet’s harvestable surplus salmon than any other commercial user group, there will be a cost (in terms of less drift gillnet Kenai River sockeye harvest). That is the cost or investment required to manage Northern Cook Inlet salmon stocks on a more sustainable basis.

Under newly adopted regulation in the Central District Drift Gillnet Fishery Management Plan, the drift gillnet fleet will have up to 5 days of weekly opportunity to harvest abundant Kasilof and Kenai River sockeye salmon from July 19 - early August in the Extended Kenai and the Extended Kasilof fishing sections, starting two miles out from the Kenai Peninsula shoreline. Then in August after the drift gillnet fleet catches less than 3% of its cumulative season total sockeye harvest for two consecutive fishing periods, the drift gillnet fishing fleet will be allowed to fish regular periods in Area 3 and Area 4 on the west side of the inlet until closed by emergency order.

For the first time since 2022, I believe regulations within this management plan may allow a realistic opportunity for all Northern Cook Inlet coho and sockeye salmon stocks, returning primarily during July and August, to attain annual sustainable escapement goals (SEGs) without requiring inseason sport fishery emergency restrictions and closures. Pete Probasco, Chair of the Matanuska Susitna Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission and a former commercial fisheries manager for ADF&G, is not as optimistic as myself, and believes it may take time to rebuild currently depleted Northern Cook Inlet coho salmon stocks. Over the next 4 years time, Mat-Su anglers will see coho returns produced from years with coho salmon spawning escapement counts below SEG levels.

BOF action taken on Proposal 186 is the biggest news item I have to report on at this time, however I will remain at the meeting for the final day (Saturday March 21), and will report further on additional BOF regulation changes for Mat-Su anglers.

As mentioned many previous times this has been a broad-based effort by groups and individuals to establish more appropriate regulation in the drift gillnet plan that better matches the purpose of the plan. I would mention and thank the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, members of the Borough’s Fish and Wildlife Commission, support and consultant help from the Kenai River Sportfishing Association, Northern District Setnetters Association, Alaska Sportfishing Association, Matanuska Valley Fish and Game Advisory Committee, Anchorage FIsh and Game Advisory Committee, the Frontiersman Newspaper, Fish Alaska Magazine, Alaska Outdoor Council — and of course the Alaska Board of Fisheries members who voted to adopt more conservation-based regulation.

Fish On!

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