Proposal 186 for Northern Cook Inlet coho

Last Summer during the 3rd season in a row where the Deshka River and Little Susitna River sport coho salmon fisheries were restricted inseason and then closed by ADF&G emergency orders — with not enough coho documented up either river to achieve even the lower end of the Sustainable Escapement Goal (SEG) range at either location, an individual asked if I would submit an Agenda Change Request (ACR) proposing conservative adjustment of the Central District Drift Gillnet Fishery Management Plan to allow additional passage of Northern Cook Inlet coho salmon into Northern Cook Inlet waters to better ensure attaining adequate coho salmon spawning escapements (ACR5).

ACR 5 was considered by the Alaska Board of Fisheries at its October 2025 work session with support from 4 of the 7 Board members, agreeing it met the Agenda Change Request Criteria to be scheduled for an out of cycle regular meeting. During that October worksession ACR 5 was scheduled to be considered during the Statewide Board of Fisheries Meeting at the Egan Convention Center in Anchorage from March 17 - 21, 2026.

ACR 5 is now Proposal 186 and if adopted, as written, would adjust fishing opportunity for the Central District commercial drift gillnet fishery targeting Kenai River sockeye salmon in the Central District mixed stock zone west of the Extended Kenai, Extended Kasilof, and Anchor Point sections to one consistent opportunity for each of the 3 abundance levels provided for in the management plan. — Additional drift gillnet fishing allowed at the two higher levels of sockeye salmon returns to the Kenai River would be restricted to occurring in the more terminal sections (Anchor Point) Expanded Kasilof, Expanded Kenai) closer to the Kenai River. While allowing additional drift gillnet harvest opportunity for harvestable surplus Kenai and Kasilof River sockeye salmon, only allowing that harvest to occur closer to the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers should allow better passage of coho salmon through the center of Upper Cook Inlet to ensure better attainment of adequate coho salmon spawning escapement levels throughout Northern Cook Inlet — as measured by coho salmon escapement goals at Deshka and Little Susitna River. Note: Achieving coho SEG levels at Deshka and Little Susitna during 2026 would relieve pressure to list both coho stocks as Stock of Management Concern during the Board’s 2026 / 2027 cycle next winter. https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/regulations/regprocess/fisheriesboard/pdfs/2025-2026/proposals/186.pdf

With recent management changes in Upper Cook Inlet — Federal management providing a more liberal drift gillnet harvest opportunity in Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ )waters and State of Alaska management commercial changes to conserve late-run Kenai River Chinook requiring a larger percentage of drift gillnet sockeye salmon harvests, changes are need to ensure that the purpose of the Central District Drift Gillnet Fishery Management Plan is achieved, “…to ensure adequate salmon escapements and a harvestable surplus of salmon into the Northern District drainages . . . .” https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/alaska/5-AAC-21.353

A majority of the current Alaska Board of Fisheries members have acknowledged liberal practices within the Central District Drift Gillnet Fishery Management Plan that may be sabotaging the ability to achieve adequate Northern District coho salmon escapements on almost-chronic level by acknowledging that ACR 5 met 539.999 ACR criteria and scheduling what is now Proposal 186 for Board consideration in March. https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/alaska/5-AAC-39.999

Should the Board of Fisheries and State of Alaska manage the Central District drift gillnet fishery to better ensure adequate coho salmon escapement levels in Northern Cook Inlet? https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/alaska/5-AAC-39.220 and https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/alaska/5-AAC-39.220 and

AS 16.05.258 (e) The Board of Fisheries may allocate fishery resources among personal use, sport, guided sport, and commercial fisheries. The board shall adopt criteria for the allocation of fishery resources and shall use the criteria as appropriate to particular allocation decisions. The criteria may include factors such as

(1) the history of each personal use, sport, guided sport, and commercial fishery;

(2) the number of residents and nonresidents who have participated in each fishery in the past

and the number of residents and nonresidents who can reasonably be expected to participate in the future;

(3) the importance of each fishery for providing residents the opportunity to obtain fish for

personal and family consumption;

(4) the availability of alternative fisheries resources;

(5) the importance of each fishery to the economy of the state;

(6) the importance of each fishery to the economy of the region and local area in which the

fishery is located;

(7) the importance of each fishery in providing recreational opportunities for residents and

nonresidents.

There are currently plenty of regulations (as evidenced above) that should ensure Board of Fisheries adopted fishing regulations and ADF&G management decisions provide for adequate salmon escapements and harvestable surpluses into Northern Cook Inlet (including Mat-Su Valley) drainages. Board of Fisheries decisions and ADF&G management actions, however, are determined through a public meeting process. Recent below SEG coho salmon escapements at Deshka River and Little Susitna River for 3 consecutive years, combined with a majority of current Board members who have recognized that issue, appear to align for positive change which could occur for Northern Cook Inlet coho salmon stocks. Opportunity for positive change increases with additional public support from groups and individuals most interested in maintaining sustainable coho salmon stock levels — that could also provide reasonable Northern Cook Inlet coho salmon harvest opportunities for all user groups throughout entire fishing seasons.

The Matanuska - Susitna Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) will be working with groups and individuals willing to participate to achieve positive management change for Northern Cook Inlet coho salmon through proposal 186 and has multiple meetings: Feb 12, Feb 26, March 12 scheduled to facilitate that process between now and the March 17 - 21 Board of Fisheries meeting. Please consider participating and requesting friends, organizations, groups, and legislators, representatives, officials to participate in this effort as well. https://matsugov.us/agendas?board=84 for more information people may also call Mat-Su Borough staff member, Paul Clark at 907-861-8556.

For sustainable and healthy Mat-Su coho stocks and fishery opportunities!!!

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.