A group looking to ban commercial setnets in Alaska's urban areas submitted 43,000 signatures to the Division of Elections on Wednesday, asking that voters consider the ban in the August 2016 primary election.
The Alaska Fisheries Conservation Alliance needed to submit only 30,000 signatures to advance the effort. The Division of Elections now has 60 days to verify the signatures and determine whether the issue can go on the ballot.
The ban would prohibit the use of setnet gear near urban areas including Fairbanks, Anchorage, Juneau, Valdez and Ketchikan. However, the ban is aimed mainly at Cook Inlet, particularly at setnetters along the Kenai Peninsula targeting salmon headed toward the Kenai River, a popular sportfishing destination famed for its king salmon, which have declined in recent years.
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