Upper Cook Inlet Commercial Fishing Announcement No. 12 extends commercial salmon fishing with set gillnets in the Kenai, Kasilof, and East Foreland sections of the Upper Subdistrict from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 14, 2016.
Drift gillnetting will be opened in the Expanded Kenai and Expanded Kasilof sections of the Upper Subdistrict from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 14, 2016.
The passage rate of sockeye salmon into the Kenai and Kasilof rivers is proceeding at a rate greater than that needed to assure optimum escapement levels. In order to reduce the rate of passage and harvest surplus sockeye salmon bound for the Kenai and Kasilof rivers, additional fishing time in the above-described area is warranted.
5 AAC 21.360 Kenai River Late-Run Sockeye Salmon Management Plan states that the Upper Subdistrict set gillnet fishery is restricted to no more than 84-hours of additional fishing time per week beginning on July 8. With this fishing announcement, 22 hours of additional time will have been used for the week of July 10–July 16.