Department Releases More Detail About Cook Inlet Fish in Kodiak Waters

Sockeye salmon in Chugach. (Photo by USDA Forest Service Alaska Region.)

Kayla Desroches/KMXT

A genetic study that’s sparked a Cook Inlet claim on sockeye salmon in Kodiak waters is now a little bit more specific. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game published an addendum to that document on Monday.

Nick Sagalkin, ADF & G’s regional supervisor for the Westward region, says the original study looked at the genetic composition of sockeye in western Kodiak. He says it shows fishermen are catching Cook Inlet fish in the Kodiak management area.

“This addendum that the board will be reviewing is going to put finer detail on that. So, which specific stocks are being harvested.”

The call for an addendum comes from the Alaska Board of Fisheries.

At its work session next month, the board will consider a Cook Inlet agenda change request to move up discussion about the Kodiak management plan.

Cook Inlet fishermen have been trying to push ahead the consideration of a cap on sockeye in the Kodiak area.

Right now, the Kodiak area management plan is based on run health. A cap would shut down the entire salmon fishery as soon as fishermen hit the cap.

The ADF & G addendum takes a closer look at four regions in Cook Inlet where the fish may have come from.

Those are Kenai, Kasilof, Susitna and the fourth category of other Cook Inlet. The results show that the majority of the sampled Cook Inlet fish come from Kenai at 4 –21 percent annually.

Sagalkin says the Board of Fisheries will look over the addendum when it meets for its work session Oct. 17-19 in Anchorage.

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