is king salmon fishing closed in alaska

The language in the June 12 announcement may have been hard to comprehend. Im optimistic, but Im also scared as heck, said Eric Jordan, a lifelong fisherman and resident of trolling stronghold Sitka at the standing room-only meeting with federal National Marine Fisheries Service officials. They just have fall chum. All rights reserved. With all the setnets taken out of the water and the drift fleet reined in, that harvest number is likely to stagnate as the run moves toward August. of Fish & Game. I think we need to say, Where could this problem have come from, and what are we gonna do about it? Like many Southeast trollers, Marks runs a small operation often fishing alone or with one of his family members. Where to Go With so many salmon swimming in Alaska's waters, lots of towns can claim that they're the salmon capitaland all can be right, depending on when you're there. What they have been seeing is very few kings. But some in the industry say that will already be too late. He said hell be taking clients up to the Kenai this year, like he has the last several years. Dozens of people met at the Centennial Hall meeting Wednesday evening to discuss the Wild Fish Conservancy lawsuit. That's weird.. Its worth about $15 million. So its possible that fishing might happen this summer. We got a lot of questions. 04/17/23 Expires 12/31/23. The nonresident bag and possession limit is one king salmon, 28 inches . And the fishery is quite lucrative at the dock. Pink salmon are actually excellent table fare when prepared fresh or smoked, they don't hold up well to being frozen. KCAWs Robert Woolsey has been following the lawsuit from Sitka, in the heart of the Southeast salmon troll fishing region, and says whether the king fishery will be closed this summer remains uncertain. In spring of 2022, what would be another abysmal fishing season was about to begin for communities that historically rely on the Yukon River as a vital food source. closed to Chinook salmon retention . The state banned fishing on popular. King salmon, halibut and rockfish are the primary targeted species. She focuses on in-depth stories about the intersection of public policy and Alaskans' lives. Three businesses buy fish in Craig, and others that sell the materials needed to maintain the citys fishing fleet those will suffer without trolling, OConnor said. All rights reserved. All told, before the king season closed in mid-July, he saw two fish caught. Closure. By Patrick Enslow Published: Jun. I want nothing more than to have good numbers of king salmon returning to our streams every year, Booz said. Uncertainty over whether the season will open is forcing fishermen to make hard choices. Southeast Alaskas summer troll fishery would typically open July 1. The prized fish, also known as chinooks, can fetch around three times as much as coho salmon and six times as much as chum salmon. He said that last week, it was clear the runs were not doing well enough to support fisheries. Catch-and-release fishing will be allowed on the Little Susitna River. The Department of Fish and Game considers an optimal early-season return to be in the 3,900 - 6,900 range. (Michelle Theriault Boots / ADN), Thats what most people will do, he said. The Kenai River is closed through July 31 for kings. Four days later, a Facebook post appeared on the Alaska Federal Subsistence Management Program page to address the confusion the announcement had apparently generated. [4] The Ninilchik River has closed before, most recently in 2018. They use all salmon. Moses Johnson was going to upgrade his boat and invest in halibut shares this summer. But Im honestly not sure whether we can get there by July 1.. So far the early run king salmon count on the Kenai River is 1,030. Its an extra hour drive each direction, and then an hour drive to Kasilof, hour and 10 minutes or so to Kenai, Anderson said. In the smallest Southeast communities, trolling provides a major source of cash economies. Were still not projected to make the escapement goal in these streams, Booz said. Melissa Haley, the City and Borough of Sitkas finance director, said she doesnt have the data to separate out how much of that came from trolling, but she said the loss of the fishery would be significant to the citys treasury and to its economic activity. Legal actionandout-of-cycle proposalsto the Board of Fish both failed last year. Evan Erickson is a reporter at KYUK who has previously worked as a copy editor, audio engineer and freelance journalist. Andy Hall, who is the president of setnetter organization Kenai Peninsula Fishermens Association, says nobody is happy about the kings not coming back to the Kenai River, but setnetters are particularly disproportionately affected. The Kasilof and Cook Inlet saltwater king fisheries closed Wednesday. Fishermen were confused and frustrated by the judges decision because trolling is considered to be one of the most sustainable ways to commercially harvest salmon. He previously reported from Juneau for Alaska's News Source. [Amid an unprecedented collapse in Alaska Yukon River salmon, no one can say for certain why there are so few fish]. A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, halted a lower court ruling that would have shut down southeast Alaska's . To prevent fishermen moving elsewhere to get kings, Fish and Game also closed king salmon fishing in the Kasilof River and the Cook Inlet saltwater from Bluff Point north. While salmon fishing prospects on the Yukon River appear grim, Carroll said that the changes are important and hopefully now clear. He said the loss of income from the king salmon closure would hit trollers hard. The Ninilchik River closes to king fishing Thursday. I want to talk more about what the impacts might be to the fleet. But it feels like were in for the long haul.. Contact him at smaguire@adn.com. These regulations will be effective 12:01 a.m. Friday, March 10, 2023, through 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, 2024. It explained the federal action in plain English, and it spelled out that salmon fishing was unlikely to be opened at all during the 2023 summer season. Sean Maguire is a politics and general assignment reporter for the Anchorage Daily News based in Juneau. It was the second-smallest sockeye catch on record for the region, but the total ex-vessel value of the fishery was the lowest on record, according to Fish and Game. An occasional pink or chum salmon might come up starting mid June. Another emergency order closesDeep Creek and the Anchor River to sportfishing. Haines/Skagway. [The Alaska Department of] Fish and Game were quick to tell me there was a lot of questions. As of Sunday, 214,000 sockeye had passed the sonar in the Kenai River, with a projected final escapement of between 790,000 and 1.4 million sockeye. Around 58% of Pelican households have a troll fishing permit. But if you do want to fish for kings, there are a few options on the Kenai Peninsula. The Kasilof River is closed through July 15 for kings, with catch and release starting on July 16. News Fishing Local News. King salmon fishing is closed in the Susitna River drainage, except for the Yentna River drainage. Yes there is a number of Alaska's King salmon fisheries still open that are doing quite well! There are no roads to King Salmon from Anchorage and no ferries so flying is the only option! I mean, whats the impact going to be on Southeast Alaska in general, if this fishery gets shut down? The restriction is in place from this Saturday through 11:59 p.m. on July 15. They said they've always fished coho in the Black River and they couldn't go. NO! It was pretty obvious that these runs were looking to be some of the weakest runs weve seen here in Cook Inlet since weve been monitoring escapement, Booz said. Theres a bunch of people who dont know how theyre going to feed their families next winter.. It said that the action allows the three communities to harvest salmon in the Yukon River drainage if a harvestable surplus is available and opportunity is provided by the Federal Manager. It also said that the action would take effect on June 20. The personal-use dipnet fishery remains open, but only for other species they cant keep kings, either. Fish processors provide entry-level jobs for young people looking to get into the seafood industry, and the jobs of some Craig residents who dont own boats would be at risk too. FILE - A troller fishes in Sitka Sound, Alaska on February 2, 2021. But only half of those permits might be fishing any given season. At sea, it is basically a silvery fish with spotting on the back, upper sides, top of head, and all the fins, including the tail fin. Alaska coastal communities share 50% of commercial fishing tax revenue with the state. So far the early run king salmon count on the Kenai River is 1,030. (Bill Roth / ADN). Everyone in Sitka knows someone who trolls and they tend to be long-term community members who live in the community year-round, she said. Robert Woolsey: If you look at the order, the language of the order says, yes, theyre definitely calling for the end of troll fishing this summer. This fabled river fishery is synonymous with the king salmon species. We're entering the second summer with the legendary Kenai River closed to king salmon fishing. The Short answer is NO! Now, after alarmingly low king numbers around the peninsula this spring, they have closed the Kasilof and Ninilchik Rivers and Cook Inlet into July. The Prince of Wales Island community, which has lost a quarter of its population since 2000, has watched logging jobs disappear, and there are fears fishermen will be next. Alaska Department of Fish and Game Doug Vincent-Lang, Commissioner PO Box 115526 Juneau, AK 99811-5526 . For a complete look at statewide fishing closures and restrictions from the Alaska Department of Fish and game click here. They mean that all the communities that have historically relied on the fisheries will now have access to federal subsistence openings if the situation ever improves. May 5, 2023 by Robert Woolsey, KCAW - Sitka Trollers in Sitka. King and summer chum runs are forecasted to be poor, with little to no harvestable surplus available. I mean, the 2023 troll harvest allocation is only 149,000 kings. One of the Kenai River closures triggers a shutdown of the commercial setnet fleet that targets sockeye salmon on the east side of the inlet, state biologists say. In 2017, the Pacific Fishery and Management Council closed 200 miles of the West Coast to ocean salmon fishing to protect a record-low run of Klamath River chinook. We dont really have the revenue stream we need to keep our business open if trolling doesnt go ahead, he said. The world's wild king salmon stocks are disappearing. He said trolling accounts for roughly 80% of his businesss annual income. This closure prohibits all sport fishing for king salmon, including catch-and-release fishing. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced the closure on Wednesday, set to last through July 31, which would be the end of the king salmon fishing season on the Kenai anyway. But he said the runs havent supported good fishing or harvest opportunities. If King salmon fishing is your main goal for fishing Alaska, Then you may want to consider heading to Copper Center Alaska in 2023, to fish the Klutina river, Gulkana river, or the Tonsina river, for Alaska salmon fishing without the combat fishing experience. And its kind of a loss for everyone who feels that Alaska has bent over backwards to try and preserve this stock, and its being taken away on basically a technicality. And once those fish are sold to the processor, and then the processor sells them and they enter sort of the economy, that $15 million is multiplied many times over. (Photo by Rachel Waldholz/KCAW) A federal judge in Washington state issued a ruling this week that threatens to shut down trolling for. But the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has already closed the early and late king salmon runs to sport fishing also shutting down the beleaguered Cook Inlet east side set-net fishery before fishermen can gear up. . The state is shutting down most summer king salmon sportfishing around Cook Inlet amid continued declines in the strong, hard-running fish that not that long ago filled freezers and fueled tourism in the states most populated region. So you would book your flight from your home city to Anchorage then on to King Salmon. From its source at the outlet of Kenai Lake, the river flows 80 miles to Cook Inlet, offering anglers early and late-run action for the three salmon species, along with pink salmon and rainbow trout. Fish and Game announces sport fishing closures for king salmon on the Kenai Peninsula. King salmon caught while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be released . There are many places to lay your head in the local area after you spend a day or 2 battling Alaskas mighty Copper river King! For residents of Scammon Bay, Hooper Bay, and Chevak, this opportunity would not have been available had the regulatory cleanup not taken place. This year is off to a really slow start with most of our chinook salmon escapement monitoring here on the Kenai Peninsula depending on the stock or system, said Alaska Department of Fish and Game area biologist Mike Booz. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday halted a lower court ruling that would have shut down southeast Alaska's chinook salmon troll fishery for the summer to protect endangered orca whales that eat the fish. The regulations mark the regions most restrictive preseason orders yet after 15 years of decreasing populations, according to Mike Booz, the states Homer-based Cook Inlet sportfish area manager. There also is a lot of Air B&Bs in the area, look in Glennallen, Copper Center, and Gakona. What have you heard from them about that? Southeast Alaska Regional King Salmon Sport Fishing Regulations for 2023. This weeks emergency sport fishing regulations were based on predictions made in areas with the best available data, according to the order: the Deshka River in Mat-Su and the Anchor and Kenai rivers on the Kenai Peninsula. Alaska Freshwater Fishing The ruling by a three-judge 9th Circuit Court panel means the summer chinook, or king, salmon season will start . But the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has already closed the. A prominent fisheries journalist is calling into question the transparency of how much Alaskan salmon fishermen get paid for their catch. Gary Hollier, another longtime Kenai area setnetter, noted that most setnetters are Alaska residents. Just $1 per month , Anemic runs have forced officials to shutter fishing for kings on some of the peninsula's most famous salmon waters, including Cook Inlet and the Kenai, Kasilof, and Ninilchiik Rivers, By The Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon in Homer and the Seldovia Slough are also still producing kings. King salmon caught with a fly and released in the Susitna River drainage on June 5, 2015. Sport Fishing for King Salmon Closed in Cook Inlet Salt Waters (Homer) - In favor of protecting early-run and late-run Cook Inlet king salmon and ensuring sport fishing opportunities in the future, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is closing sport fishing for king salmon, including catch-and-release, in all Cook Inlet salt waters north of the latitude of Bluff Point (59 40.00 . Since this lawsuit came up, I put everything on hold, said Johnson, a lifelong Sitka fisherman who trolls for kings in the winter. He said that means making timely and conservative management decisions, which he said will likely need to continue going forward. All rights reserved. Over the last few years, more and more of the run has been arriving in the river in August, after most of the commercial fisheries are closed by regulation. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced the closure Monday afternoon after nearly three weeks of watching the late-run king salmon fail to return to the Kenai River in large enough numbers. Trollers have these tall poles that extend out and they just cruise along gracefully over the waves catching fish one at a time. Lingit Aani Kaa Kei Nas.ax Haa Yoo Xatangi, https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/20230505095249-4Salmonlawsuit2way.mp3, Crab pots absolutely stuffed as Bering Sea Dungeness fishery breaks records, Alaskas secret wild salmon prices hurt everybody, fisheries journalist says, With prices low, many fishermen are skipping Southeast's Dungeness crab season. (Michelle Theriault Boots / ADN). I knew individuals who called me from Hooper [Bay] who would have liked to have gone and fish in the Black River. KCAW is our partner station in Sitka. Sean Maguire reported from Juneau and Michelle Theriault Boots reported from Sitka. Some of Alaska's largest and best rivers are closed to king fishing because state and federal fisheries managers have determined that the largest of the salmon species, also called. | (James Poulson/Daily Sitka Sentinel via AP). The loss of the king salmon troll fishery could affect high-end restaurants, where the fish is particularly prized. If you're visiting Alaska, you'll mostly likely to arrive in summer. My father runs the Kasilof River and the Kenai River and he hasnt killed a king salmon in the Kasilof or the Kenai in, shoot, like 8 or 9 years now, he told Alaskas News Source. A handful of areas remain open to catch kings, including Anchorages popular urban fishery at Ship Creek and the Eklutna Tailrace off the Old Glenn Highway in Mat-Su; troll fishing out of Homer, limited to one fish rather than two; and hatchery-raised kings in the Homer Fishing Hole and the Ninilchik and Kasilof rivers, though no wild kings can be kept. Its an extra hour drive each direction, he told APM. We offer a variety of river fishing trips available, and Copper river salmon is our specialty! WHO FLIES THERE? Booz said the king fishing there has been slow so far. If we dont have trolling, it takes out half of the economy in Pelican, he said. These mighty Kings are especially known for their power and endurance and are one of the angler's most sought-after species available. Is King Salmon Fishing closed in Alaska? Now, its pushing for Endangered Species Act protections for king salmon.]. This is my 53rd year coming up as a set-netter and I have never experienced this, said Ken Coleman, vice president of the Kenai Peninsula Fishermens Association. She covers breaking news, the Mat-Su region, aviation and general assignments. On June 23, a small improvement did come about when fisheries managers announced limited opportunities to fish for summer chum on the Yukon River. They average 10-50lbs but have been known to reach 130lbs or more. Robert Woolsey: Well, it all got real back in December of 2022, when another U.S. District Court judge in western Washington named Judge Michelle Peterson issued a report and recommendation that basically went in favor of just about everything the Wild Fish Conservancy was asking for. Best Time to Go May through August. The warming climate may have helped.]. Where did this lawsuit come from? (Sitka) - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is announcing the 2023 sport fishing regulations for king salmon in Southeast Alaska and Yakutat.

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