Sudden halt of cost recovery fishing was done after hearing angry outcries from local fishers that the effort was targeting early-run Russian River sockeye salmon. Pat Shields, Fish and Game assistant manager of Upper Cook Inlet commercial fisheries, informed that since Tuesday morning two vessels were set-netting for sockeye salmon to fund the department’s offshore test fishery in July that forecasts the sockeye run. One vessel was in the Kenai and the other was between Clam Gulch and Ninilchik.
Fish and Game has ordered for temporary closure of the Kenai River limited fishing time last week and that’s angered the area sportfishermen. Then, as soon as the river re-opened, the state had started its own commercial fishery. Shields said pressure from on high played a role in the closure of the cost-recovery fishery when upper-level department heads caught wind of the effort.
Reacting to the situation the Kenai River Sportfishing Association sent a letter Wednesday expressing concerns to Gov. Sean Parnell as well as the commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Denby Loyd. Ricky Gease, executive director of the Kenai River Sportfishing Association, said the fishery should not even be referred to as “cost-recovery” but a it is a fundraising effort.
According to Shields the cost-recovery fishery will end tonight regardless if they make the goal or not. He added that the department anticipated it would be near its goal when the fishery stopped by midnight Thursday. Sheilds said that cost-recovery varies on what seafood processor gets the bid. Prior to this year cost-recovery efforts have typically taken place along the Blanchard Line between the Kasilof and Kenai rivers.
