The Alaska Department of Fish and Game issued a stream of emergency orders Thursday restricting sport fishing in many areas of Southcentral Alaska, following low statewide salmon runs in 2012 and similar state action.
In a statement summarizing most of the orders, Fish and Game said they were issued in response to "low king salmon abundance over recent years, a below-average outlook for the upcoming season, and uncertainty over how quickly king salmon abundance may rebound."
Last year, the state imposed a series of restrictions on fishing due to lower-than-expected salmon runs across Alaska. The tighter rules provoked widespread anger in rural Alaska, with some residents choosing to fish in violation of them; two dozen have been tried for misdemeanor charges, with two fishermen convicted and fined $250 in October.
Tom Vania, Fish and Game's regional fisheries management coordinator for Cook Inlet, says the new restrictions this year shouldn't surprise people, noting that only four of 17 Cook Inlet-area streams met their state escapement goals in 2012.
"Again, these are a lot of actions we took last year," Vania said. "I think people are prepared to do what it takes to achieve escapement goals -- there's a lot of people that are concerned about the resources as well."
Vania says that while Thursday's restrictions will reduce anglers' take of Chinooks, there are other species in abundance, such as coho or sockeye salmon and lake trout. Fish and Game recently unveiled a Google Earth application that shows lakes stocked with fish by state officials.
"There's a lot of opportunity out there for people to still wet a line, still put food in the freezer," Vania said. "Sockeye should be looking real good this summer; last year there was a lot of chum salmon that made it up to Cook Inlet."
Several of Thursday's orders, which will generally be in effect May 1 through June 30, target the Anchor and Ninilchik rivers as well as Deep Creek. On those waterways, anglers will only be allowed to use one single-hook, unbaited artificial lure, and will have to end the day's fishing for any species after harvesting a king salmon 20 inches or longer.
Those three bodies of water, as well as Cook Inlet's marine waters between the latitudes of the Ninilchik River's mouth and Bluff Point, will fall under a combined annual limit of two kings 20 inches or longer.
In orders affecting specific area rivers, Fish and Game will close the Anchor River to sport fishing on Wednesdays, shortening the area open to fishing by moving a regulatory marker about 1,000 feet downstream of the junction for the river's north and south forks. The Ninilchik River will have a bag and possession limit of one natural or hatchery-produced king through June 30. The limit will then become one hatchery-produced king effective July 1.
"A naturally-produced king salmon is a king salmon with an adipose fin intact," Fish and Game officials wrote. "Hatchery-produced king salmon are distinguished from naturally-produced king salmon by a healed adipose fin-clip scar. The adipose fin is the small fleshy fin on the back just ahead of the tail."
The Kasilof River will see its bag and possession limits fall to one hatchery-produced king salmon from May 1 through June 30. According to Fish and Game, naturally produced kings may not be taken or removed from the water.
Units 1 through 6 of the Susitna River drainage, as well as the Little Susitna River, will see a separate set of restrictions taking effect May 15, including an annual limit of two kings 20 inches or longer. An annual limit on Chinooks of that size taken from fresh waters of Cook Inlet remains at five, but no more than two may be taken from the Susitna and the Little Su.
"King salmon recorded before Wednesday, May 15, on the harvest portion of an Alaska sport fishing license or harvest record card do not count against the two king salmon that may be harvested beginning May 15, but do count against the Cook Inlet annual limit of five king salmon," Fish and Game officials wrote.
The Susitna and Little Su, as well as the Deshka River, will also be restricted to single-hook, artificial unbaited lures. In the Susitna River and Knik Arm drainages, harvesting a king 20 inches or longer will end the day's fishing for all species, while the harvest of Little Su kings of any size will only be allowed Saturday through Monday -- with catch-and-release fishing permitted Tuesday through Friday.
Harvesting of fish will be allowed on the Deshka seven days a week. In the Yentna River drainage, except for the Talachulitna River, harvesting will only be permitted Friday through Monday, with catch-and-release fishing Tuesday through Thursday.
Kings may not be harvested in any area of the Susitna River drainage's Unit 1 except the Deshka. The ban also applies to Unit 2's Parks Highway streams, in addition to the Upper Susitna, Talachulitna, Talkeetna and Chulitna rivers.
"Catch-and-release fishing will be allowed during days and times normally open to king salmon fishing within these management units," Fish and Game officials wrote.
According to Fish and Game, the Eklutna Tailrace is excluded from all restrictions.
Channel 2's Steve Mac Donald contributed information to this story.
Contact Chris Klint