Emergency openings spark sockeye discussions

Valley Life editor

The sockeye run has been tremendous this year on the Kenai Peninsula, but could that be bad for fish stocks in the Mat-Su Valley? That depends on who you ask.

Fish Creek, a small tributary that crosses Knik Road and goes to Big Lake, was once a thriving sockeye dipnet fishery. Now, with smaller runs, the fishery hasn't opened in several years, and with news of emergency openings for commercial fisherman, some aren't liking the chances for a Fish Creek rebound.

"They set up those EOs and they're taking most of the Fish Creek fish. I called the feds and told them to put the Fish Creek fish on the endangered species list. That's where they're headed," said Bruce Knowles, a member of the Mat-Su Advisory Board of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. "The commercial fishermen didn't tell the Board of Fish about the impact it would have on our sockeyes."

That's not exactly the truth, said Doug Mecum, the director of commercial fishing for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

On July 19, the Alaska Board of Fisheries liberalized the commercial fishing regulations after the sockeye returns were so good. The emergency opening (EO) reduced the mandatory closure to 12 hours per week for both set nets and drift nets in the Kasilof, Kenai and East Forelands sections. Additionally, the board allowed for 12 additional hours of fishing per week for drift nets in portions of the Central District.

"To me, it's an overblown concern," said Mecum. "The department followed the management plan to the letter. When we had record numbers of escapement, the board gave authority for two more drift fleet openings. Essentially, we're talking about one week out of an entire season."

Closure windows were still kept during the openings, Mecum said, to allow for continued sockeye escapement.

"Some people point to the Yentna numbers and the Fish Creek numbers as being a problem. If we miss the Yentna goal, which I don't think we will, it will be by 5,000 to 10,000 fish. We're talking 5,000 fish out of a 7 million-fish stock," Mecum said. "There are still restrictions in the northern area to protect the Yentna sockeye.

"This is one of the best years ever for sockeyes," Mecum said. "Pointing to the Yentna numbers and the Fish Creek numbers doesn't show you the whole story."

Dave Rutz, the sport fishing biologist for ADF&G's Palmer office, said that while some Fish Creek fish are taken during the commercial fishing season, but they aren't the reason commercial fishermen are out there in the first place.

"On all their regularly scheduled days, they can fish districtwide, and they're certainly hitting some Fish Creek stock, but mostly, they're looking for Kasilof and Kenai fish, and going there" said Dave Rutz, a sport fish biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. "They're not making money on the Susitna stocks. They're making money on the Kenai and Kasilof stocks."

Rutz said biologists would need to see an escapement of 70,000 sockeyes before the Fish Creek fishery would open to dipnetting -- or at least be able to project a 70,000 escapement. Last Wednesday, 985 more sockeye passed through a weir there, bringing to total to only 13,810.

"Last year, we reached that 70,000 number late in the season, but we couldn't have projected it and so we didn't open the fishery," Rutz said. "That's been the way it's gone the last couple of years."

Anglers shouldn't worry about coho stocks being affected.

"These openings were in front of the coho coming, and our counts are showing a real strong coho return this year, already," Mecum said.

Rutz said so far, all indications are for a great coho return to the Valley.

"We're already seeing good numbers pass through the weirs," Rutz said. "It should be a real good coho season."