Some final thoughts on BOF meeting

You’re probably as tired of reading about Board of Fisheries (BOF) stuff as I am writing about it. However, there are a few items I want to emphasize beyond the mention they received in the articles printed over the past couple of weeks. These changes have the potential to affect a lot of people in the Valley and you need to be aware of them. They include youth fishing days, restrictions on Jim Creek fishing and outboard restrictions on the Little Susitna River.

Two separate proposals passed the BOF that will create two youth-only fishing days at the Eklutna Tailrace, one day for king salmon and one day for coho salmon. Quoting from one proposal presented to the BOF: “Youth have limited to no opportunity and could become discouraged or develop negative connotations in regards to sport fishing if we do not make an effort to create a safe environment where they are not competing with adult anglers.”

The two fishing days will each allow 12 hours of fishing time for youth age 15 and younger along the tailrace out to the mouth. Provisions will be made and signage posted allowing adults to also fish, but in designated areas separate from where the kids will be fishing. The intent is to encourage kids to fish by allowing them the ability to fish without having to compete with adults for space near the better fishing areas. I would expect to see these fisheries mentioned, including the dates and a description of the designated youth-only fishing areas, in the new regulation book becoming available sometime in April.

Another original proposal requesting a change to the current 24/7 Jim Creek fishing hours specified only allowing fishing from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to protect declining salmon returns. A lot of folks fish Jim Creek both before and after work. Recognizing that the 12-hour timeframe would not accommodate many people, the BOF altered the proposal by adding Leaf Lake and Mud Lake to the area of Upper Jim Creek closed to salmon fishing.

The BOF further altered the proposal to retain the 24/7 open hours except from the second Saturday in August through Dec. 31, when sport fishing is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. The BOF also added the provision that after taking a bag limit of salmon, a person may not sport fish for the remainder of that day in waters open to sport fishing for salmon. These changes should also be highlighted in the new regulation booklet.

Of the three topics listed, this last item will undoubtedly have the greatest financial impact on anglers who fish the Little Susitna River by boat. A proposal was submitted asking the BOF to restrict anglers in boats on the Little Su to the use of four-stroke engines only and to limit the number of boats using the river at any one time. After public testimony and committee review, the BOF passed a regulation that will require the use of four-stroke or two-stroke direct-injection clean-burning-technology engines after Jan.1, 2017. Testimony from law enforcement about the difficulty of implementing a number-of-boats restriction resulted in that part of the original proposal being dropped.

During committee work on this proposal, information was presented that the state Department of Environmental Conservation is in the process of issuing a declaration of impaired waters for the Little Su based largely on hydrocarbon pollution. By using only clean-burning engines, this problem should clear itself up with no further action necessary. Given concerns about weak salmon runs in recent years to the Little Su, it was felt that every precaution regarding water quality should be taken.

The board also recognized that replacing an older technology two-stroke outboard with a new four-stroke or clean technology two-stroke engine would be a sizeable investment for boat owners wanting to continue fishing the Little Su. Many folks are already making the upgrade, and to allow those who haven’t yet done so, the three-year timeframe before implementation was added so folks could start planning and saving toward that engine upgrade goal.

As stated in previous articles, a lot of things potentially impacting angling in the Valley this upcoming season were discussed and acted upon by the BOF. Most things were not changed. We lost out on getting more escapement goals set in regulation for the Northern District to aid in managing escapements; however, the changes made to the drift management plan should move enough fish north to provide some opportunity to Northern District anglers.

Howard Delo is a retired fisheries biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. You can leave him a message by emailing sports@frontiersman.com.