Personal use fishery established in the lower Susitna

The Board of Fisheries deliberated the “one percent rule” and passed a version which kept the percentage at one but moved the start date back to July 31st from the August 7th date currently in regulation. The definition of what constitutes a fishing period was also established. Several proposals were asking to increase the percentage to two or even three percent. What is the one percent rule anyway?

The board came up with this rule several years ago to provide a means of orderly transferring the commercial fisheries from a sockeye fishery into a commercial Coho fishery. Once the commercial harvest of sockeye salmon for two consecutive fishing periods dropped below one percent of the entire harvest of fish during the commercial season, the sockeye season was declared over, and management of the commercial fisheries transitioned into Coho.

Commercial fishing periods were defined as one period equals 24 hours. A period couldn’t be stretched to accommodate an attempt to catch more than one percent by lengthening fishing time.

This methodology first appeared in the set net fishery and was later applied to the drift fleet. For the set netters, closure of sockeye fishing meant the end of fishing. When the set netters stopped fishing, the drift fleet was moved into less productive areas, but could continue fishing. Normally, it takes about a week to allow the one percent rule to work.

By moving the start date back to July 31, in years where the rule is implemented, the sockeye fishing is over around August 7. Under the August 7 start time, commercial fishing would run until August 14-15. This time frame allowed interception of more northern-bound Coho in the drift fleet.

A personal use fishery was established by the board in the lower Susitna River. This fishery is intended to start small.

It will only happen from July 10th to July 31st and for two days a week: Wednesdays and Saturdays. The time for dipping will run each open day from 6 am to 11 pm. Only one permit will be issued per household with limits the same as the Fish Creek PU. No king salmon may be retained, and no pike can be released alive.

Look for the specific regulations governing this new fishery in the 2020 Southcentral fisheries regulation booklet when it comes out later this year.

Members of the Fish and Wildlife Commission have been meeting with representatives of the Northern District Set Net Association to come up with mutually acceptable paired restrictions governing the sport and commercial set net fisheries in the Northern District.

The nature of these two fisheries prohibit total agreement, but common points which are acceptable to both sides were discussed. We are very close to reaching an acceptable plan. This marks the first time I can remember that these two groups have worked together to achieve goals mutually acceptable to both sides. This could mark the beginning of a solid working relationship among user groups in the Northern District in developing salmon management techniques in the area.

The FWC submitted three king salmon management plans in order to give some direction to the department and some idea to the public of what to expect for sport fishing regulations in the respective drainages for the upcoming year.

In working with specific board members, a more simplified and consolidated management plan draft has been developed and could become regulation in a day or so.

A term I learned during my time on the board was “wrapped around the axle.” This meant there was some major problem encountered in refining or members agreeing to a proposal.

This was encountered with proposal 104, which was an attempt to set an optimal escapement goal (OEG) for the Kenai River late-run king salmon management plan.

After spending almost a half-day debating the issues and concerns, the board adopted RC 152 as a substitute for proposal 104 and passed the amended version.

I’m writing this Friday night. Tomorrow, Saturday, the board will deliberate and take final action on the paired restrictions work I mentioned earlier and on the management plan revisions.

My proposal asking for a definition of the term “minimize” will come up in committee discussions tomorrow.

I gave some thought to pulling the proposal considering other things which have gone in our favor but decided to keep it moving forward.

The term has come up in numerous discussions in front of the board and is used in several Cook Inlet management plans. We’ll see how things go.