Last week I blogged about efforts on the federal level to bring back declining king salmon runs in Alaska. I’m doubtful any meaningful changes will happen in the short term. Long term, yes, but to quote the Kenai River Sportfishing Association, “if we wait it’ll be too late.”
I’m much more optimistic about consequential changes that can happen on the state level. And the changes can happen soon.
This year, the Alaska Board of Fisheries will be holding their three-year meeting cycle in Anchorage, February 23rd-March 6th.
For readers who aren’t familiar with the Alaska Board of Fisheries, the seven member board is responsible for and tasked with:
… conserve and develop the fishery resources of the state. This involves setting seasons, bag limits, methods and means for the state’s subsistence, commercial, sport, guided sport, and personal use fisheries, and it also involves setting policy and direction for the management of the states fishery resources.
This is a unique process. Alaska is the only state that allows the general public, resident or non resident, to submit fishing proposals for the Board to consider.
For this cycle, the Board has accepted 255 proposals to deliberate. In a two week period, that’s a lot of testimonies from the authors, experts, and the general public.
It’s a tough job and the pressure is immense.
What I’m looking forward to is Proposal 83 submitted by Dr. Francis Estalilla. It is a comprehensive proposal to change the existing Upper Cook Inlet king salmon management plan.
Francis is passionate for salmon, especially the Kenai king salmon. His concerns are:
The well-being of the stock continues to be harmed by the current Late-Run Plan because it lacks the necessary “tools” and provisions required to prudently manage this depleted stock with sufficient harvest precaution, particularly at the precariously low abundances seen during the past two chinook life cycles.
In 12 pages, Francis outlines his plan to help the king salmon runs.
As they say, the devil is in the details, and you can read his entire proposal here.
Francis is doing something, and if you want to do something too, click on this link and send the Board of Fisheries a note saying you support Proposal 83. I know I am.
The comment period ends on February 8th.
Doing Something Part 1