Does anyone understand that for all fisheries targeting Kenai River sockeye salmon, except the sport fishery, are closed?
I do not want to get into a big allocation fight but there does seem to be some confusion here. The logic escapes my way of thinking. In all the emergency orders closing the fisheries - P.U, educational, and commercial the justification reads that the inriver goal of 650,000 sockeye will not be met without these actions. However, in the sport fish bag limit reduction the ADF&G says they will meet the in-river spawning escapement goal of 500,000 to 1 million.
You can only meet the spawning escapement if the inriver goal at river mile 19 is met or at close to it. Further, the management plan states that the fishery below the sonar counter should be managed to meet the in-river goal.
In the past ADF&G in this situation closed below the sonar counter all fisheries targeting Kenai River sockeye salmon. However, actions above the sonar counter were taken only if the spawning escapement would not be reached. Therefore, the actions of ADF&G today gives a priority of harvest to the sport fishery downstream of the sonar counter over all other users in a time of conservation concern. This looks more political to me than biological.
For the record, the 0.5 mile set net fishery is targeting Kasilof River sockeye salmon and the Board of Fish set this up knowing this situation could arise. Therefore, the key question is what is the targeted stock in the fishery? For the inriver Kenai sport fishery it is Kenai River sockeye salmon- in the commercial fishery outside the 0.5 mile and above the mid Kalifornsky Beach line it is Kenai River sockeye salmon, in the educational fishery it is Kenai River sockeye salmon, and in the P.U. fishery at the mouth of the Kenai it is Kenai River sockeye salmon. Why does one fish and continue to harvest when all the others are closed - makes no sense to me.
Maybe those that agree with me should contact the Commissioner of Fish and Game and ask him the question. Others can respond here but be aware that ADF&G may also have exceeded their authority to reduce the bag limits in the Kenai. A management plan and regulation exists which ADF&G may have violated - it is 5aac75.003 and the Kenai River sockeye salmon management plan.
I do not mind one fishery going forth if a management plan says that it can do so. In this case ADF&G seems to be allocating the resource -not the Board of Fish.
I do not want to get into a big allocation fight but there does seem to be some confusion here. The logic escapes my way of thinking. In all the emergency orders closing the fisheries - P.U, educational, and commercial the justification reads that the inriver goal of 650,000 sockeye will not be met without these actions. However, in the sport fish bag limit reduction the ADF&G says they will meet the in-river spawning escapement goal of 500,000 to 1 million.
You can only meet the spawning escapement if the inriver goal at river mile 19 is met or at close to it. Further, the management plan states that the fishery below the sonar counter should be managed to meet the in-river goal.
In the past ADF&G in this situation closed below the sonar counter all fisheries targeting Kenai River sockeye salmon. However, actions above the sonar counter were taken only if the spawning escapement would not be reached. Therefore, the actions of ADF&G today gives a priority of harvest to the sport fishery downstream of the sonar counter over all other users in a time of conservation concern. This looks more political to me than biological.
For the record, the 0.5 mile set net fishery is targeting Kasilof River sockeye salmon and the Board of Fish set this up knowing this situation could arise. Therefore, the key question is what is the targeted stock in the fishery? For the inriver Kenai sport fishery it is Kenai River sockeye salmon- in the commercial fishery outside the 0.5 mile and above the mid Kalifornsky Beach line it is Kenai River sockeye salmon, in the educational fishery it is Kenai River sockeye salmon, and in the P.U. fishery at the mouth of the Kenai it is Kenai River sockeye salmon. Why does one fish and continue to harvest when all the others are closed - makes no sense to me.
Maybe those that agree with me should contact the Commissioner of Fish and Game and ask him the question. Others can respond here but be aware that ADF&G may also have exceeded their authority to reduce the bag limits in the Kenai. A management plan and regulation exists which ADF&G may have violated - it is 5aac75.003 and the Kenai River sockeye salmon management plan.
I do not mind one fishery going forth if a management plan says that it can do so. In this case ADF&G seems to be allocating the resource -not the Board of Fish.
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