Alaska Administrative Code › Title 5 - Fish and Game › Part 2 - Sport Fishing and Personal Use Fishery › Chapter 57 - Kenai River Drainage Area › 5 AAC 57.160 - Kenai River and Kasilof River Early-run King Salmon Management Plan

Current through May 31, 2024
(a) The purpose of this management plan is to
				ensure an adequate escapement of early-run king salmon into the Kenai and
				Kasilof Rivers, to conserve the unique large size early-run king salmon in the
				Kenai River, and to provide the department with management
				guidelines.
(b) The department
				shall manage the Kenai River early-run king salmon sport and guided sport
				fisheries to achieve the optimal escapement goal of 3,900 - 6,600 king salmon
				75 cm mid eye to tail fork length and longer, to provide reasonable
				harvestopportunities over the entire run, and to ensure the age and size
				composition of the harvest closely approximates the age and size composition of
				the run.
(c) The department shall
				manage the Kasilof River early-run king salmon sport and guided sport fisheries
				to achieve the sustainable escapement goal, to provide reasonable harvest
				opportunities over the entire run while ensuring adequate escapement of
				naturally-produced king salmon, and to minimize the effects of conservation
				actions for the Kenai River on the Kasilof River.
(d) In the Kenai River,
(1) the seasons, bag, possession, and size
				limits, and other special provisions for king salmon are set out in
				5 AAC 57.120 -
				5 AAC 57.123;
(2) from January 1 - June 30, from its mouth
				upstream to an ADF&G regulatory marker located approximately 300 yards
				downstream from the mouth of Slikok Creek,
(A) if the preseason forecast projects the
				inriver run to be less than the lower end of the sustainable escapement goal of
				2,800 - 5,600 king salmon 75 cm mid eye to tail fork length and longer, the
				commisioner shall close by emergency order, the sport fishery to the taking of
				king salmon;
(B) repealed 6/8/2017;
(C) if the preseason forecast
				projects the inriver run to be above the lower end of the sustainable
				escapement goal, but below the lower end of the optimal escapement goal, the
				commissioner shall, by emergency order,
(i)
				close the sport fishery to the taking of king salmon; or
(ii) prohibit the retention of king
				salmon;
(D) if the
				preseason forecast projects the imiver run to be within or above the optimal
				escapement goal range, the fishery may start as described in
				5 AAC 57.120 ( a)(2)(A)(i);
(E) if the inseason inriver run projection is
				below the lower end of the optimal escapement goal, the commissioner shall
				close, by emergency order, the sport fishery to the taking of king salmon;
(F) if the inseason inriver run
				projection is within the optimal escapement goal range, the commissioner shall,
				by emergency order,
(i) prohibit the
				retention of king salmon; or
(ii)
				open the sport fishery as described in 5 AAC 57.120(a)(2)(A)(i);
(G)
				if the inseason inriver run projection exceeds the optimal escapement goal
				range, the commissioner may, by emergency order liberalize the sport fishery
				using one or more of the following methods:
(i) allow the use of bait;
(ii) modify the maximum size limit allowed
				for retention;
(3) repealed 6/8/2017;
(4) repealed 6/8/2017;
(5) from January 1 - July 31, from an
				ADF&G regulatory marker located approximately 300 yards downstream from the
				mouth of the Slikok Creek upstream to an ADF&G regulatory marker located at
				the outlet of Skilak Lake,
(A) if the
				preseason forecast projects the inriver run to be less than the lower end of
				the sustainable escapement goal, the commissioner shall close, by emergency
				order the sport fishery to the taking of king salmon;
(B) if the preseason forecast projects the
				inriver run to be above the lower end of the sustainable escapement goal, but
				below the lower end of the optimal escapement goal, the commissioner shall, by
				emergency order,
(i) close the sport fishery
				to the taking of king salmon; or
(ii) prohibit the retention of king salmon;
(C) if the preseason
				forecast projects the inriver run to be within or above the optimal escapement
				goal range, the fishery may start as described in
				5 AAC 57.120(a)(2)(A)(i);
(D) if the inseason inriver run projection is
				below the lower end of the optimal escapement goal, the commissioner shall
				close by emergency order the sport fishery to the taking of king
				salmon;
(E) if the inseason inriver
				run projection is within the optimal escapement goal, the commissioner shall,
				by emergency order,
(i) prohibit the
				retention of king salmon; or
(ii)
				open the sport fishery as described in
				5 AAC 57.120(a)(2)(A)(i);
(F) if the inseason inriver run projection
				exceeds the optimal escapement goal range, the fishery may occur as described
				in 57.120(a)(2)(A)(i).