Committee meeting promises fish stories

WASILLA — Plenty of fish stories are likely to be swapped Wednesday evening at the MTA building in Palmer.

As part of its regularly monthly meeting, the Matanuska Valley Fish and Game Advisory Committee will host some of the most important decision makers in the world of Southcentral Alaska fish policy beginning at 7 p.m.

According to committee chair Denny Hamann, several key policy makers — including the directors of both the state’s Division of Sport Fisheries and Division of Commercial Fisheries — are expected to attend, as is Jeff Fox, area management biologist for Upper Cook Inlet. Fox is the man in charge of managing Cook Inlet commercial fisheries on a daily basis.

Also planning to attend is area management biologist Dave Rutz, who manages sport fisheries in the Valley.

Hamann said the local advisory committee is currently looking at proposals for the upcoming Alaska Board of Fisheries meeting scheduled for next month in Anchorage. At that meeting, the BOF will be tasked with making any new rules or regulations that affect fisheries throughout the Cook Inlet drainage.

The Department of Fish and Game personnel have much of the data that will be used to debate proposals at the board meeting, and Hamann said the committee just wanted a chance to hear some of that data first hand.

“It’s basically going to be a question and answer kind of thing,” Hamann said.

Hamann said the committee wants to know what the department plans to say on the state of Cook Inlet fisheries management. While the department has no say on what rules are crafted, fisheries managers are traditionally leaned on heavily by board members for information and guidance during the Board of Fish process.

Hamann said now is a good time to find out just what the department plans to tell the board.

“I think more of what we’re going to end up doing is trying to learn from these people what their plans are,” Hamann said.

The meeting is open to the public, though opportunity for public comment will be limited in order to allow committee members to address ADFG staff.

Mt. Yenlo AC to meet

The Mount Yenlo Fish and Game Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday, Jan. 10 at 11 a.m. at the Skwentna Roadhouse. On the agenda are Cook Inlet fish proposals and the committe’s make-up, including designations and number of seats. For further information, contact Tom Payton at (907) 982-2307.

Contact Frontiersman reporter Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com