sweeping new restrictions/closurse for AK king salmon

[traveler]

Heres the link...

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/EONR/index.cfm?ADFG=region.R2

It was too long in coming if you ask me. NO king fishing in the Kenai for 1st run kings, not even catch and release. And restrictions across the board for other Kenai peninsula and valley waters. Looks like they're getting serious about doing something about dwindling king returns, hopefully they'll do enough to do some good, not just slow the demise. I'm no fisheries biologist, but I've read a lot about the state of the king fisheries up there, and it looks like it's gonna take some hard times before things can turn the corner.

I know it sucks for a lot of guides and others making their living from the fishery, but maybe the powers that be will look at the glut of guides on the lower Kenai and set some limits on the number of guide licenses they give.

Also new halibut limits in place for this year; only ONE any size butt, with a second fish below 29 inches...a smallish chicken. Not much meat on a fish that size...I hear it was that or just go to a 1 fish limit, which might be inevitable too.

Looks like we're just loving AK fishing a little too much...

[Alagnak]

About time!!!

[live4chrome]

Shoulda done it a few years ago. If they really wanted to dove the issue they would shut the river mouth set netters down

[Ufatz]

What you are seeing is the result of tremendous angling pressure on a constricted area and changes in the resource itself. It is difficult to manage the human impact on a resource that is as variable as a pacific salmon population that fluctuates beyond the direct control of ADF&G...or anybody else.

And the Kenai river situation has been a nightmare for years and probably a lot of that is the ADF&G trying to meet the demands of the angling public. The commercial fishing industry is politically powerful and the sports fishing public is not as active and forceful in the hall of the Capitol so it is very difficult to walk the tightrope between the two competing interests when you are the ADF&G.

Fisheries management in Alaska is no fun!!

[fishkid]

Shoulda done it a few years ago. If they really wanted to dove the issue they would shut the river mouth set netters down

Thought That has been done also. they have closed just about everything down for the 1st king run.

[fishkid]

and really who really wants a king? i mean ok fun to catch but no reason to kill them wait a couple weeks kill all the reds you want!

[Ufatz]

Hold that thought! Ha!

[johnsd16]

I rarely see when managing the sportfisherman first makes sense when you have 10x or more of the take coming from commercial. I'm not sure what commercial king restrictions are coming down but I just don't see the sportfishing having a relevant impact in the context of the commercial fishing that goes on. Just like the halibut situation - sportfishing goes from two to one fish limit while commercial quotas don't change.

[Ufatz]

Commercial fishing is a multi-Billion dollar industry in Alaska. The tail has always wagged the dog. Dollars and votes talk.

And you might be surprised to learn of the impact of sports fishing on King salmon and Halibut stocks

Every sports fisherman in Alaska thinks the scales are balanced in favor of the commercial fisherman.

And every commercial fisherman in Alaska thinks the scales are tipped toward the sports fisherman.

When there are fewer fish everybody gets a bit touchy!