Personal-Use, Sport Shrimp Pot Fishing Closing In Tenakee Inlet

The following is courtesy of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game:

TENAKEE INLET PERSONAL USE AND SPORT SHRIMP POT FISHERIES CLOSURE

(Juneau) – Personal use and sport shrimp pot fisheries in Tenakee Inlet will be closed in all waters west of the longitude of Corner Point at 135° 06.50? W long. from 12:01 a.m. Friday, March 17 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, March 31, 2024 (Figure 1).

The Tenakee Inlet spot shrimp stock has been surveyed annually by the department since 2000. Based on a substantial decrease in survey catch per unit of effort (CPUE) observed in 2011, the commercial shrimp pot fishery was closed and remained closed for seven seasons (2011/12 – 2016/17). Personal use and sport shrimp pot fisheries were closed in 2012 and remained closed for five years until they were reopened in December of 2017 after five years of steadily increasing survey CPUE. Limited, two-day, commercial shrimp pot fisheries occurred in October of 2018 – 2020, and a similar opening was scheduled to occur in 2021 but was canceled due to plummeting survey CPUE and an apparent lack of small shrimp recruiting into the population. The 2022 survey showed another substantial decline in CPUE to levels lower than what initiated the original closure in 2011 and the lowest observed number of small-sized shrimp yet observed. Therefore, the closure of all shrimp pot fisheries that harvest spot shrimp in this area is necessary to rebuild the population.

The intention of these closures is to allow spot shrimp abundance to rebuild to a sustainable level. The Tenakee Inlet personal use and sport shrimp pot fisheries will remain closed until survey data indicates the spot shrimp population can support directed harvests. The department will continue to survey Tenakee Inlet in future years and will be prepared to react if the spot shrimp population recovers to sufficient levels to sustain fisheries.

Figure 1. Tenakee Inlet personal use and sport shrimp pot fisheries closure.