Board of Fisheries regulation proposal thoughts

As mentioned in last week’s column, the deadline for submitting Upper Cook Inlet fishing regulation proposals to be heard during next fall / winter’s board cycle is now one week away — April 10, 2026. In addition to next winter’s Upper Cook Inlet Board of Fisheries Meeting, the board will also be hosting meetings for Lower Cook Inlet fishing regulation proposals, and Kodiak fishing regulation proposals. The same April 10 deadline applies for groups or individuals who may want to submit fishing regulation proposals for Lower Cook Inlet or Kodiak. Proposals could address sport, personal use, subsistence, and/ or commercial regulations.

I took the opportunity to talk with Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) Sport Fish Management biologist, Samantha Oslund, on Tuesday of this week. We had a far ranging discussion concerning Upper Cook Inlet items / regulations that will or may be considered during the 2026 / 2027 Board cycle.

King Salmon

Urgent concerns include the likelihood that additional Susitna River drainage and the Little Susitna River drainage king (Chinook) stocks may qualify for designation as stocks of management concern. In addition to new king salmon stocks that may be listed, Chuitna River, Theodore River, Alexander Creek, and Eastside Susitna River king salmon stocks are already listed as Stocks of Management Concern and all have been failing to reached ADF&G established sustainable escapement goals since the last Upper Cook Inlet Board of Fisheries meeting. For all of the Northern Cook Inlet king salmon stocks that are or may be designated what should appropriate Action Plan regulations / adjustments maybe necessary to rebuild each return to sustainable levels that may once again provide fishing and harvest opportunities for some or all user groups? Should some or all of these king salmon stocks be entirely closed to targeted fishing in both Upper Cook Inlet fresh and salt waters until they recover? Should bait fishing be prohibited for a longer time period in the freshwater locations where these salmon migrate and spawn?

Coho Salmon

Although the Board adopted more conservative Drift Gillnet regulations out of cycle at their Statewide Meeting this March to address Northern Cook Inlet coho salmon conservation concerns, a question remains as to whether Deshka River and Little Susitna River coho salmon stocks may qualify as Stocks of Yield Concern? or as Stocks of Management Concern next fall. If either one of these designations were to be made for Deshka River and / or Little Susitna River coho, what would be the appropriate Action Plan regulations? and delisting criteria?

Do regulations found in the Northern Cook Inlet Salmon Management need to be adjusted to better meet the Plan’s purpose statement(s), “The department shall manage chum, pink, and sockeye salmon stocks to minimize the harvest of Northern Cook Inlet coho salmon to provide sport and guided sport fisherman and other inriver users a reasonable harvest opportunity over the entire run as measured by the frequency of inriver restrictions, or as mentioned in this section and other regulations.”

Samantha Oslund also identified that a coho salmon sport fishery creel census had at least tentatively been authorized for the Little Susitna River sport fishery during the 2026 season — a tool which should provide useful and timely information when considering new fishery regulations that may affect Little Susitna River salmon stock(s) during the 2026 / 2027 Board of Fisheries cycle.

Escapement Goal Changes?

ADF&G has been conducting an escapement goal review for Upper Cook Inlet salmon stocks in advance of the next board cycle, the results of which should be publicized before the April 10, 2026 regulation proposal submission deadline. While it is the department’s responsibility to set appropriate SEGs and BEGs (Biological Escapement Goal)s, the public may submit a proposal for an Inriver Goal or an Optimal Escapement Goal (OEG) that may take into consideration an amount of fish necessary to better meet inriver harvest opportunity needs or to provide a diversity of reasonable fishery opportunities. The Board has recognized the need for, and adopted, inriver goals for other Alaska locations, so it may be appropriate that one or more Northern Cook Inlet inriver goals maybe necessary to ensure reasonable inriver opportunities in this portion of Alaska where more than half of the state’s population resides.

Jim Creek Salmon Goal

It would also appear appropriate, and timely, that ADF&G should likely develop inseason weir-based goal(s) for Jim Creek drainage coho salmon and sockeye salmon. Both of these stocks have been monitored through weir escapements for ten years, and both stocks have already been managed inseason based on upstream / downstream weir counts. Both the department and public would benefit from clearly-defined, assessable inseason, weir-based goals, for Jim Creek salmon stocks.

Good Proposals From Thoughtful Individuals

It is easy to think that if new fishery regulations are necessary, the professionals at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game will (or should) submit them. As an observer/ participant of this public process for more than 40 years, I’ve seen many good fishing opportunities benefitting large numbers of Alaskans, originally proposed by members of the public, and then adopted by the Board of Fisheries. While a higher percentage of ADF&G staff proposals may get adopted, there is clearly no department monopoly on beneficial fishery regulation proposals, the necessary drive and determination to submit a specific proposal, and for some specific proposal areas — ADF&G policy may prohibit or “nearly prohibit” department submission. I, therefore encourage individuals with ideas about how Alaska fisheries could better serve the people of Alaska, to get involved, write, and submit an Upper Cook Inlet (or other area) fishing regulation proposal. https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/regulations/regprocess/fisheriesboard/pdfs/2026-2027/2026-2027_call.pdf

Good Luck and Write 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.