As sport anglers wind down with another abundant sockeye run and move towards pesky pinks and super silvers, let’s not forget our wild king salmon.

For goodness sake, be a good sport and stay off the beds, allowing our big fish to spawn without harassment. Educate next year’s anglers on taking other plentiful species and possibly utilizing catch and release when pursuing our special salmon. And let’s come up with a good way to maximize commercial sockeye harvest while minimizing or eliminating king harvest, so our local setnetters can once again fish.

In a recent letter to the Clarion, I expressed my disappointment in the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game's Kenai River king salmon management. As a long-time fishing guide, I admitted partial responsibility for our struggling king runs. I also put blame on every other user, including local, tourist, and commercial fisherman. But mostly, I pointed the finger at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the state entity that is charged with the responsibly of managing our resource to ensure sustainability of our salmon for future generations, something they have grossly failed to do.