I can’t say I was surprised when the news came out. The entire State of Alaska has been experiencing a decline in king salmon returns for several years. The only thing that surprised me was how long it took for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to make this announcement. Last year, the Emergency Orders came out on 1/26. This year, 3/2. I’m still scratching my head why it took so long.
The news is bad if you like to catch king salmon. The Kenai River will be closed for the entire 2023 season. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the right thing to do when the escapement forecast falls short of the goal.
The Emergency Orders for the Kenai River and other watersheds can be found here.
The only freshwater king salmon opportunities in our area are the Kasilof and Ninilchik rivers. Both of these fisheries have hatchery king salmon and ADFG has determined a limited retention of king salmon is acceptable. There are also ocean opportunities to catch king salmon south of Homer.
I hate to say it but the decline of the pacific king salmon is a classic example of tragedy of the commons. There are government organizations that are in place to protect the resource, but big money and lobbyists seem to get in the way. I hope it’s not too late for this iconic fish to rebound.
In the meantime, my guiding focus this year will be on the fish of abundance in the Kenai: reds, silvers, and trout.
Long live the kings!
Passion