The importance of a regular and consistent salmon harvest opportunity

Back in May I had the opportunity to participate in a group meeting called together by Gov. Bill Walker to discuss Upper Cook Inlet salmon fishery issues and in particular to see what we could agree on.

Because of the number of participants we were split into smaller groups/subcommittees to make the process easier for each individual to have a meaningful opportunity to participate and provide ideas. In my small group Ian Pitzman, a commercial drift gill netter who lives in the Homer area, brought up the concept of the importance of having a regular and consistent fishing opportunity for the commercial fishery. Ian further clarified that by mentioning having the opportunity to fish on a regular basis twice a week, was of particular importance, so commercial businesses could plan ahead.

Our small group discussed the importance of maintaining escapement numbers, and that conservation needs trumped regular and consistent fishing opportunity, however, the group also put forward that a regular, consistent, and reasonable harvest opportunity was important to all Upper Cook Inlet user groups. Whether commercial, subsistence, personal use, sport, or guided sport all Upper Cook Inlet fisheries benefit from having a regular, consistent, and reasonable salmon harvest opportunity from year to year and within each year.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is tasked with providing for salmon spawning escapement needs, and secondarily, reasonable fishing and harvest opportunities for all user groups. The Alaska Board of Fisheries has adopted a regulatory framework for the department to follow, however, within that framework the department has considerable discretionary management flexibility to meet both in-season escapement needs and provide reasonable fishing and harvest opportunities for all user groups. It is not an easy task, and with so many user groups and more than half of the state’s population living near UCI most regional management decisions are likely to be criticized by one or more user groups and many more individuals.

UCI king salmon and Copper River sockeye salmon disasters?

Although I have yet to hear Walker or any other elected official publicly put forward that the UCI king salmon fishery and the Copper River sockeye salmon fisheries should qualify as federal disasters, just reading the emergency orders put forward by ADF&G affecting each of these fisheries and the user groups who participate in these fisheries should lead to that conclusion. Harvest opportunities for all user groups have been severely and negatively impacted. Individuals, businesses, communities, boroughs, and the state have all suffered negative financial impacts.

How does low UCI king and Copper River sockeye numbers affect July UCI management?

ADF&G has already issued emergency orders affectively closing all Mat-Su and Anchorage area fishing and harvest of wild king salmon (except for Eklutna Tail Race/Knik River). In addition the Kenai River king salmon fishery, for second run king salmon (starting July 1) has been restricted to no bait and the Kenai River personal use fishery has been closed to king salmon harvest.

With the sport fishing bait restriction on the Kenai River, emergency fishing hours for set netting on a portion of the Kenai Peninsula have also been reduced. When this occurs ADF&G’s commercial management strategy is to harvest more salmon, with the drift gill net fishery (which harvests less Kenai River king salmon). Unfortunately for all users groups fishing in Northern Cook Inlet waters the commercial drift gill net fishery tends to harvests larger numbers of northern bound salmon of all species and stocks than the set net fishery located closer to the Kenai Peninsula shoreline.

The loss of opportunity to harvest Copper River sockeye salmon means more personal use fishermen and sport fishermen may be dependent upon UCI personal use and sport fishing opportunities to harvest salmon this year. It remains to be seen how the administration and ADF&G will provide for reasonable personal use and sport fishing harvest opportunities this year.

Suggestions for management with reasonable harvest opportunities for more Alaskans

The above-mentioned emergency changes made by ADF&G have already shifted harvest opportunity toward more hours for the drift gill netting fleet. Under such a scenario, the drift gill net fleet will likely harvest more than half of the UCI commercial salmon harvest and considerably more than half of the commercially harvested salmon bound for Northern UCI. Most additional emergency drift gill netting hours are already restricted to fishing in areas within 8 miles of the Kenai Peninsula such as the Anchor Point, Expanded Kasilof, and Expanded Kenai Sections, but ADF&G genetic studies show that even when fishing in these areas the drift fleet still harvests significant numbers of Northern UCI bound salmon. Therefore, I suggest that ADF&G seriously consider using its discretionary authority granted under 5AAC 21.353 Central District Drift Gillet Fishery Management Plan section (h) to fish more of the regular Monday and Thursday periods in these same sections rather than area wide where even larger numbers of Northern bound salmon are harvested.

Further, when drift gill netting is allowed all the way across UCI, good commercial harvests can occur south of Kalgan Island without as much negative impact on Northern escapements and reasonable Northern harvest opportunities than when drift gill net harvests occur in that portion of the Conservation Corridor north of Kalgan Island.

Commercial harvests from the Conservation Corridor north of Kalgan Island during late July and early August have maximum negative impacts on Northern bound coho escapements, and the reasonable sport opportunity for this species, specified in the Plan. More Alaskans (including subsistence, personal use, Northern commercial set netters, sport, and guided sport users would have a reasonable harvest opportunity if drift periods during late July / early August were fished primarily in the Expanded Anchor Point, Kasilof, and Kenai Sections, and even in Area 1. As mentioned above, such management could occur at ADF&G’s discretion and in compliance with the Plan.

In hopes of reasonable Northern UCI salmon harvest opportunities, and fish on!

Andy Couch is owner/guide of Fishtale River Guides and also a member of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission, and Matanuska Valley Fish and Game Advisory Committee.