2023 ADF&G Set Gillnet Study Frequently Asked Questions

Why are gillnets fishing along the Kenai beach when the fishery is supposed to be closed?

Research is evaluating alternatives for selectively harvesting Sockeye Salmon and protecting Kenai King Salmon in the East Side commercial set gillnet fishery of Upper Cook Inlet.

Why is this study necessary?

Severe fishery restrictions and closures have been required to protect Kenai King Salmon escapement during an extended period of poor returns. The East Side set gillnet commercial salmon fishery has been devastated by closures over the last few years. Without better management tools, the commercial set net fishery in Cook Inlet is likely to continue to be severely restricted by King conservation measures.

Who is conducting this study?

Alaska Department of Fish and Game has contracted with Kintama Research Services, a company based in British Columbia, Canada. This company has special expertise the use of telemetry to track movements of fish in marine waters including Cook Inlet. Kintama has subcontracted with a set gillnet fisherman to operate a test fishery and with an independent observer to collect scientific data from this fishery. All fishing operations are being ministered by an independent observer.

How much money has been appropriated to the test?

ADFG has contracted $225,000 to Kintama for the study. Of this, $60,000 has been allocated to a subcontract for test fishing. Additional support in funding and in-kind contributions has been made by other interested stakeholders.

What are the study objectives?

  1. Assess catch efficiency by species for set gillnets of different mesh depths.
  2. Evaluate effective fishing depths of set nets of various mesh depths in relation to tidal cycle.
  3. Determine the feasibility of using acoustic telemetry to evaluate movements and depth distribution Sockeye Chinook in relation to fishing areas and gillnet fishing depths.

What alternatives are being evaluated?

Alternatives include shallow gill nets (15, 22, & 29 meshes — traditional is 45 meshes) operated at various water depths and distances from shore. Previous work suggests that shallower nets might selectively harvest the surface-oriented Sockeye and reduce catch of Kings which are believed to travel more deeply in the water column.

How much fishing will occur?

Test fishing will occur at one fishing site along the beach between the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers on 15 to 20 days between July 8 and August 10, weather permitting.

How is test fishery data being collected?

The study was designed with an independent observer contracted by Kintama in order to ensure the credibility of test fishery sampling results. Accurate information on King bycatch will be an important product of the study. In the past, it has been unknown whether reported sales and/or retention of Kings in the set net fishery reflect actual catches or are underestimates. If King catches are very low as has been represented by the fishery, this study will be an opportunity to verify that.]

How many Sockeye are being harvested?

Catch efficiency of shallow nets for Sockeye is one of the key questions being studied. We expect catches of 10,000-30,000 Sockeye for the season.

What is happening to the salmon that are being caught?

Salmon harvested in this fishery are delivered to a fish processor and sold with proceeds delivered to the State.

Are Kings are being caught in this fishery?

Numbers and sizes of Kings caught in setnets are a focus of the study. Small numbers of Kings are expected to be caught. Most will be small jacks under 25" in length (mid-eye to fork) because that is what the gillnet mesh size selects for. Few will be over the 34" size counted at the Kenai River sonar toward established spawning escapement goals. Not all of these will be Kenai fish. Live Kings are released.

How many Kings are being tagged?

No fish are being tagged at this pilot study stage as the detection array is not large enough to produce significant samples of detections. The study is a proof of concept for deployment and design of a comprehensive array in the future if the initial work appears promising.

How many Kings harvested will warrant suspension of the test fishery?

King catches are being closely monitored and the situation would be reassessed if numbers become significant relative to sonar counts. We would expect a concern if the catch began to exceed 1-2% of the run of large Kings.

When will study results be reported?

Daily observer reports are being provided by the contractor to ADFG. It will be up to ADFG to decide if or how to report interim results. Any initial information would quite preliminary and difficult to interpret. We would be surprised to see widespread dissemination of information until it has been thoroughly checked and analyzed by the contractor and ADFG. The project completion report is expected to be available by January 2024.

How will study results be used in fishery management?

Results of this pilot study are expected to inform considerations of management alternatives by the Alaska Board of Fisheries in their 2024 Upper Cook Inlet meeting. Results can also guide development of follow-up studies in subsequent years.

Where can I find out more information on this work?

Copy of the Contract