On Wednesday the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced that the Kenai River will be closed to king salmon fishing beginning Friday, June 22nd and will reopen July 1st. This Emergency Order was put into effect to protect the fish that have already entered the river and the remainder of the first run kings.
Unfortunately much of the public opinion blames the guides/sportfisherman for the decline. It is true that guides/sportfisherman have an impact. However, if only the Kenai River was suffering from low returns the finger could be pointed at all in river users. But statewide rivers such as the Yukon, Kuskokwim, Karluk, Kasilof, Deshka, Little Su, and Anchor are all being restricted for king salmon fishing. Common sense dictates that this is an ocean problem and not an in river issue. Hard to say if it's from warming ocean temperatures, acidification, or commercial fishing; in particular the nearly 159,000 by catch kill of immature king salmon in the trawl fishery. One way or another the fishery biologists need to get a handle on this and take corrective actions.
Stay tuned on Monday for a more normal fishing report with photos.
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Nicely stated but I have no doubt that the nets cause the most damage. Manage the fishery for the largest user group--sportfisherman--and then give the commercial fisherman the leftovers.
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