commercial fishing

NOAA Fisheries is required to draft a new salmon management plan for the federal waters of Cook Inlet — a contentious fishery that's been at the center of multiple lawsuits. Now, the agency is asking for input from the public.

The lack of action means a plan to delegate management of the fishery to the federal government will head to the feds for approval — a plan fishermen and council members say could severely restrict the fishery.

Fishermen who use Skipper Science can log observations about what they see on the water. The app's creators hope it can also be a way to include more local voices in the fishing management process.

At its April meeting, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council will consider possible ways to move forward with management of Upper Cook Inlet’s federal waters — which the federal council voted to close to commercial salmon fishing in 2020.

We spoke with fisheries economist Gunnar Knapp and set-netter Brent Johnson about trends in Upper Cook Inlet's commercial salmon fishery — from changes in catches and permit prices, to how those numbers track with those coming from Bristol Bay, to how fishermen are reacting to the changing landscape in the inlet.

According to the report, fishermen in Cook Inlet caught an estimated 2 million fish this season, weighing in at 10 million pounds. The total value at the docks for the inlet was $16 million.

The reopening of the fishery this summer was just a temporary fix. And once again, UCIDA and the feds are at odds over what comes next.

The proposed revision addresses the impacts of bycatch and climate change on fisheries, and would add two Alaska Native representatives to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. But it's path through the broader Congress is far from certain.

The proposed revision addresses the impacts of bycatch and climate change on fisheries, and would add two Alaska Native representatives to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. But it's path through the broader Congress is far from certain.

In a case filed in state court this week, the Cook Inlet Fishermen's Fund asked the state to immediately reopen the fishery, to pay fishermen back for what they lost and to revise the plan that closed it in the first place.