Commercial sockeye fishing in upper Cook Inlet will be decided on a day-by-day basis from here until the end of the season.
“We’re going to provide the setnet fishery with a 12-hour opening and then we’ll reassess after we get the data in from that period, the catches in from that period. And we’ll reassess where we’re at with escapement of sockeye, and we’ll also take a look at king salmon. And so it will be kind of a day-by-day assessment to see if there will be any additional fishing time provided,” said Pat Shields, area management biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Commercial Fisheries Division in Soldotna.
According to an emergency order released Monday, east-side setnetters are allowed to fish Aug. 9, and maybe a couple more days before the season ends Aug. 15. Drift gillnetters also have a 12-hour opening Tuesday.
