Sockeye fisheries reopen

With the low end of optimum spawning escapement met on late-run Kenai River sockeye, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced the reopening of a number of fisheries on Sunday.

The Cook Inlet commercial fishery has been reopened in the Central District to fish a regular fishing period, according to a Fish and Game press release. The Kenai River sport fishery, educational fishery and personal use fishery also have been reopened.

On Saturday, 65,000 reds came through the Kenai River sonar counter at river mile 19 to increase the total to 533,000. The optimum spawning escapement is 500,000 to 1,000,000 sockeye. According to a Fish and Game press release, present escapement rates, coupled with a run strength assessment, now indicate that the late run is unusually late.

The personal use dipnet fishery at the mouth of the Kenai River will open at 6 a.m. today and run through the end of the personal use fishing season, which is 11 p.m. today.

Effective at 12:01 a.m. today, the sockeye salmon sport fishery in the Kenai River reopens. In all portions of the Kenai River open to salmon fishing, the bag and possession limit for salmon 16 inches or greater in length, other than king salmon, is three fish per day and in possession, of which only two can be coho salmon.

Also at 12:01 a.m. today, the Kenaitze Indian Tribe educational fishery authorized for the Kenai River reopens.