Fisheries News and Resources

To keep members and the public informed about the issues surrounding the sport fishery on the Kenai Peninsula, we have provided this news page.  We invite you to check the following links for news items related to the Board of Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and other noteworthy items.

Here are a few facts (see news article below):

• More than 60 percent of the anglers who fish the Kenai River watershed and Cook Inlet live in Anchorage.
• Cook Inlet is home to more than 60 percent of the Alaska sportfishery but less than 6 percent of the statewide commercial salmon harvest.
• Some 1,340 commercial fishermen are allocated about 85-90 percent of the Cook Inlet salmon harvest while 216,000 sport anglers and an unknown number of personal users receive only 10-15 percent of that same harvest.
• The 2004 Kenai Peninsula Borough Comprehensive Plan shows the economic impact of sportfishing on the Kenai Peninsula was worth $664 million in 2003 while commercial fishing was valued at $54 million in 2002 (data for 2003 is not yet available).
• Setnet fishermen receive about $1 per pound for a 40-pound king salmon; the sport angler spends about $1,200 to catch a 40-pound king.
• In 2004, the Upper Cook Inlet commercial east-side setnet fishery harvested more second-run Kenai River kings as by-catch than the entire sportfishery caught. These nets "accidentally" caught 22,000 kings while sport anglers caught 18,000. From 1998-2002, the incidental harvest of kings by setnets averaged 6,700.

NEW!  Due to the efforts of several KRPGA members efforts, there is now a brand new first-class stainless fish cleaning table at the Kasilof river put in COURTESY OF ADF&G (not state parks!) and that anyone coming in contact with Barry Stratton should personally thank him, as it was him personally that 'made this happen!'

NEW!   Congratulations to KRPGA professional and associate members for their newly acquired seats on the Kenai Soldotna Fish and Game Advisory Committee. Professional members Joe Hardy and Mel Erickson were elected as sportfish guide representatives and associate member Jim Kuhnsman was elected to an at large seat. Special thanks to all that attended the meeting and helped support our members. The positive turnout made a big difference. Best of luck to these new AC board members.  Here is the report from the Clairion.

• Bag limits increase for Kasilof, Russian  NEW!
• Guide regs moving forward
• Kenai River guides face regulations 
• Fish Board Nets Mixed Reviews 
• Board levels Dolly, trout regs 
• New rules help fish reach river 
• Fish board makes changes 
• River guide certification gets support 
• What does salmon proposal signal for species protection?
• Manage Cook Inlet fisheries fairly
• BOF Position on Alaska's Wild Trout Fisheries
• Board of Fisheries Home Page
• BOF Contacts
• NMFS Home Page
• Anadromous Fish Conservation Act (inlcudes Alaska contact information)
• Alaska Department of Fish and Game Home Page
• Alaska Department of Fish and Game Sportfish Division
• Fish and Game Advisory Committees in Alaska
• Fishing Guide Resources
• Wagoner proposes new bill
• Proposals sent to Fish and Game
• Bill would remove politics from salmon
• KRSMA to take different angle on issues
• Wagoner bill gets KRSMA backing 
• Working group process updated 
• Fishing guides boost effort for certification 
• Fishing guide academy gets closer to reality 
• Bill adds land to Kenai River Special Management Area 
• Forbidden fillets 
• Take a Kid Fishing Day 
• Salmon Celebration
• KRSA Vindicated 
• River Guides get Reprieve  NEW!