Cook Inlet’s 2022 Closure To Commercial Salmon Fishing Impacts

Here’s more on the controversy from Alaska’s News Source:

“It really affects all of the user groups in Cook Inlet,” said Sen. Peter Micciche, R-Soldotna. “Because by shutting down the EEZ – I’m a Cook Inlet commercial fisher, I’m a drifter, I spend about 50% of my time or more fishing the EEZ, the federal waters of Cook Inlet, where the drift gillnet fisheries take place — this closure is substantial.

“It’s going to lump all user groups in one small area, near the rivers,” he continued, “and that’s going to impact every user group.”

Ben Mohr, of the Kenai River Sportfishing Association, said Wednesday that the move is bittersweet.

“‘Bitter’ in that we have a lot of friends and neighbors on the Kenai Peninsula that rely on the commercial fishery for their businesses,” he said, “but ‘sweet’ in the perspective that ultimately, what this is going to result in is more fish down for Cook Inlet rivers and streams.”

Here’s NOAA’s report on the closure:

NOAA Fisheries issued a final rule to implement Amendment 14 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Salmon Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska (Salmon FMP). The Final Rule, which filed in the Federal Register today, prohibits commercial salmon fishing in the federal waters of Cook Inlet. This area is 3 nautical miles to 200 nautical miles off Alaska and is referred to as the Cook Inlet Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The measure will be in place for the 2022 Cook Inlet EEZ commercial salmon fishery. It affects the Cook Inlet drift gillnet fishery—the only commercial salmon fishery that operates in the Cook Inlet EEZ. This action closes a portion of the historically used fishing area for the Cook Inlet drift gillnet salmon fishery. It does not close salmon fishing in state waters. The Cook Inlet drift gillnet fleet can continue to operate in state waters.

The State of Alaska will continue to manage Cook Inlet salmon fishery sectors within state waters and may choose to modify management policies in future seasons in response to this federal action.