HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 2022-57
Sponsored by: Vice Mayor Glendening, Council Members Knackstedt, Pettey,
Winger, Baisden and Sounart
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CITY OF KENAI
RESOLUTION NO. 2022-57
A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE STATE OF ALASKA COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND GAME
ALLOW THE EAST SIDE SETNET FISHERY ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO HARVEST SOCKEYE
SALMON DURING THE 2022 SEASON.
WHEREAS, the City of Kenai benefits from well-managed salmon runs as a central part of its economy
and quality of life; and,
WHEREAS, all user groups within the City: sport; personal use; subsistence and commercial benefit from
healthy sustainable runs in the Kenai River; and,
WHEREAS, the City supports the implementation of fisheries regulations based on sound science and
research-based biology intended to achieve a maximum sustainable yield providing for the highest
possible number of returning salmon and greatest opportunity for all user groups; and,
WHEREAS, sockeye salmon runs in both the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers are currently projected to exceed
escapement goals; and,
WHEREAS, personal use fishermen, sport fishermen, and the commercial drift fleet are all currently
permitted to harvest sockeye salmon with expanded opportunities including sport fish limits of six per day
and 24 hour a day personal use opportunities; and,
WHEREAS, in-river guides also have opportunities to guide clients for sockeye salmon; and,
WHEREAS, the only user group currently denied any opportunity to harvest sockeye salmon are the East
Side Setnet fisheries participants; and,
WHEREAS, there are over 400 East Side Setnet Permit holders in the Upper Cook Inlet, with close to 90
percent Alaska Residents and approximately 80 percent of those Alaskans residing on the Kenai
Peninsula Borough; and,
WHEREAS, the East Side Setnet fishery has a long history in the City of Kenai preceding Statehood;
and,
WHEREAS, the East Side Setnet fishery provides direct employment opportunities, is a critical business
component of local seafood processors and supports numerous other local businesses through its
activities; and,
WHEREAS, in 2021, more than one million sockeye in excess of escapement goals entered the Kenai
River resulting in economic opportunity costs estimated to be $80 million dollars; and,
WHEREAS, the current late run king salmon return in the Kenai River is projected to meet escapement
goals within an allowable margin of error using the Alaska Department of Fish and Game timing
scenarios if the run is two days or more late; and,
Resolution No. 2022-57
Page 2 of 2
WHEREAS , Department of Fish and Game harvest data shows that only 32 late run Kenai River large
king salmon were harvested in the East Side Setnet fishery through July 14, 2022 representing a very
small fraction of a percent of needed escapement; and ,
WHEREAS , while all user groups are targeting sockeye, all incidentally catch king salmon while
conducting their fisheries; and,
WHEREAS, allowing all other user groups to continue to harvest sockeye with increased fishing
opportunities while completely prohibiting the East Side Setnet fishery to harvest sockeye is inequitable,
does not appear to be scientifically based, will result in economic disaster for some East Side Fishermen
and negatively impacts the economy of the City of Kenai.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA :
Section 1. That the City Council of Kenai requests the Commissioner of the Alaska Department of
Fish and Game to authorize further sockeye salmon fishing opportunity for the East Side Setnet fishery
during the 2022 season .
Section 2. That a copy of this Resolution be forwarded to the State of Alaska Commissioner of Fish
and Game, all members of the Board of Fisheries, Governor Mike Dunleavy, the Kenai Peninsula
Borough Mayor, the Mayor of the Homer, the Mayor of Soldotna, the Mayor of Seward, State
Representative Ben Carpenter, State Representative Ron Gillham, State Representative Sarah Vance,
State Senator Peter Micciche, Senator Lisa Murkowski, Senator Dan Sullivan, and the Kenai Courthouse.
Section 3. That this Resolution takes effect immediately upon passage.
PASSED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, THIS
eea Winger, C
r;J~/~t
Deborah Sounart, Council Member
ATTEST:
Michelle M. Saner, MMC, City Clerk
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Kenai Penins ula Fislt er111 e11 's Association
Emuri11g IM Susuunab/111)• of 011r Fl5lrtf)' Rnouru~
July 20, 2022
4)961 Kalifom<Ay B~ach Road • Suite F • Sol1/0111n, ,1/as Aa 99669...f276
(907) 161-1'91 • Fa..: (907) 161-1898 • E Mail: tp/~ nlnJtn.ntt
P RESS R E L EASE
The Kenai Peninsula Fishermen's Association (KPFA), is a non-profit 501(c) (6)
commercial fisheries advocacy trade group representing Cook lnlel (Cl) fishing fami l ies
since 1954. KPFA 's mission is "E n surin g the S u s taina b ili ty of Our Fis h ery
R eso urces." Our goal is to continue to strengthen our fishing community and to promote
the economic stability of the Cook l nle1 Setnet Fishery.
KPFA primarily represents salmon setnet pem1i1 holders on the East Side of Cook Inlet.
Tbe geographical area of the fishery reaches from the soutb at Nini.lch.ik to Boulder Point
in the north , spanning more than 60 miles a long Cook Lnlct's Eastside. The sa lmon
harvested by the East Side Setnet Fishery originate a lmost exclusively in the Kasilof and
Kenai River systems.
Some 440 limited entry permit holders, each one a small businessperson, fish for sahnon
in this area and are primarily Alaska residents. Eighty-six percent of the permit holders
are Alaska residents , and eighty percent of those Alaskans live locally on the Kenai
Peninsu la.
Our correspondence today is to express the Kenai Peninsula Fishermen's Association's
extreme concern for the recent action by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game
(ADFG) to close the Kenai River to king salmon fishing. This action immediately c losed
the doors oftbe businesses of more than 400 families who work in th e Upper Cook Inl et
Sernet fishery! Revenue s from these bu s inesses not on ly suppo rt their fi shing families,
but also trickle down to a web of loca l businesses, including fish processors, fish tenders,
truck drivers, mechanics , wel ders, fuel sellers, boat builders, and gear, grocery and
hardware stores . among many others. T h e Jos s of the fi s hery wi ll do irreparable harm not
only to the fishermen who will lose their live li hoods but also to the Kenai Peninsula's
economy and food security. The nearly identical fishery closure th at cook place las t year
e li minated an estimated 80 m illion dollars that would have c irculated into the local Kenai
Peninsula economy.
Of a ll the user groups who harvest s almon in Cook lnlet -sport anglers, dip-ne tters, drift
gill netters, s ub s istence fishermen , and professional guides, once again 011/y the Eas t S ide
setnet famil y busine sses have been pulled from the water and forced to shutter their
businesses.
The ADFG is cit ing k ing conservat ion to justify this closure. Their actions are
guaranteeing ye1 another economic dis aster for the East Side setne tters. To take an action
that imposes such dire circumstances on only these fi shermen, one would think that the
setne tters' harvest must severel y impact the nm. This is not true!
To date, the total number of k ing salmon harvested by setne tters fishing on the 60 miles
of beach from Ninilc hik to Boulder Point is a to ta l of32 large Late Run Kenai Kings.
Those 32 k ing salmon represent 0 .2% of the king run. So, under the direction of
Governor Mike !Dunlea vy 's Fish and Game Commiss io ner, the Alaska Department of
Fish and Game is closing the Kenai Ri ver to king salmon fishing and sending a century-
o ld sector of the Kenai Peninsu la 's economy in to economic collapse while putting more
than 99 percent of the rentming large late run Kenai kings in to the river.
For the pas t few days, the king numbers have been increasing. F ish and Game
Commissioner Doug V incent-Lang bas sta ted that he will reopen the East S ide Setnet
fi s hery if the department projects mee ting the 2020 Board of Fish impos ed Optimum
Escapement Goal (OEG) of 15,000 Late Run Kenai River Large kings. The
commissioner bas the auth ority to open the fi shery in emergency like this yet he refuses,
c iting fear of a lawsuit. \Vhile be waits to confirm that the OEG will be me t, there is
certain hann coming to thos e natal rivers where the kings and sockeye rear.
The Peninsula's sockeye salmon population is being put in jeopardy.
To date, the Kasilof Ri ver is projected to reach 761 ,000 returning sockeye, which is
441 ,000 s ockeye over the upper end of the escapement goal and is on track to no t replace
itself. Commiss ioner Doug Vincent-Lang is w illing to devas tate fu ture sockeye return s
for 0.2% of the king run! The biological escapement goal for Kasilof R iver sockeye
salmon of 140,000 to 320,000 has been exceeded! Additionally, the Kenai Ri ver is
currently on track to exceed its sockeye goals if setnetters are kept on the beach. These
nuniti\1e actions are endangering future socke\'C runs for ALL us.ers.
\Ve believe in managing our fishery to the scientific biological goals set forth by the
Alaska Department of Fish and Game which is a Sustainable Escapement Goal (SEG) of
13,500 late run Kenai Ri ver large kings. Wh il e the department waits to make the call on
the nin strength based on the Board of Fisheries imposed seemingly unattainable OEG of
15 ,000 large Kings, 400 family fishing businesses w ill be waiting on the bea ch asking to
be allowed to harvest their target species of sockeye. The eagerly ant icipated order to
fi sh this season will provide much needed economic re lief and social well -being for their
fam ilies and will also prov ide relief from the certain catas trophic sockeye over
escapements in to rhe Kasilof and Kenai Rivers. The setnet fishery cannot survive
w ithout meaningful fishing oppormnity.
It 's sad that Governor Dunleavy hangs his hat on Alaska being open for business, w hile
he continues to close a 140-year-old fi shery year after year. His actions speak louder than
words!
The Kenai Peninsula Fishermen's Association Board of Direc tors