The federal government has issued a final ruling on a disputed commercial salmon fishing area in Cook Inlet.
The Cook Inlet Exclusive Economic Zone, or EEZ, starts three miles off shore and is where drift gillnet fishermen catch the majority of fish. In 2020, commercial fishermen sued over management of the fishery. Courts and fishermen went back and forth, and a year ago, the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council was tasked with choosing a new management plan. In an unprecedented move, they took no action, which turned the decision over to NOAA Fisheries.
NOAA published its plan, called Amendment 16, in October. It establishes federal management of the EEZ and new rules for fishers, like two 12-hour catch periods per week during the season. Vessels that want to fish in the area will need a federal permit, have to maintain a logbook and need to install a vessel monitoring system.
Public comment on the proposed plan was generally negative. In a release Monday, NOAA said it made many changes in response to the feedback, including one major one — there will be just one fishing period per week between July 16 and 31, to avoid “conservation concerns and early fishery closures.”
The new management plan goes into effect for the 2024 season, which begins June 20.
NOAA is hosting three meetings in May so anglers can learn how to comply with the new regulations. There will be a May 15 meeting in Kenai at the Quality Inn, a May 16 meeting at the Best Western Bidarka Inn in Homer, and a May 22 online webinar.
