Week before last they allowed emergency openings for commercial netting, for Kenai sockeye. Now, guess what, they don't have enough for their escapement. Look who suffers, the sport fishermen.

Fishhead5

* * KENAI RIVER SOCKEYE SALMON SPORT FISHERY CLOSED * *
Tuesday, July 31st, 2001

SOLDOTNA, Alaska -- The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announces the closure of sockeye salmon sport fishing in the Kenai River drainage except in the Russian River and that area from the confluence of the Russian and Kenai rivers downstream approximately 1800 yards to the powerline. Fishing for sockeye salmon, to include catch-and-release, is prohibited effective 12:01 a.m. on Thu. Aug. 2, 2001, and shall remain in effect through Dec. 31, 2001, unless superseded by subsequent emergency order.

Anglers can still fish for sockeye salmon in the fly-fishing-only waters of the Russian River and the confluence of the Kenai and Russian rivers downstream approximately 1,800 yards to the powerline.

Passage rates of sockeye salmon to the Kenai River have declined rapidly and the department can no longer confidently project a return of 2.5 million fish as previously thought. The "Late Run Kenai River Sockeye Salmon Management Plan" directs the department to manage late run sockeye salmon stocks to achieve an optimum escapement goal (OEG) of from 500,000 to 1,000,000. To date, approximately 1.5 million Kenai River sockeye have returned, of which 900,000 have been harvested commercially and 100,000 harvested in the personal use dip net fishery. The remaining 500,000 fish have passed the sonar, of which 100,000 have already been harvested in the sport fishery upstream of the sonar. Without reductions in sport harvest potential, it is likely that the department would not be able to meet the minimum OEG of 500,000 fish by the end of season. It is therefore necessary to close the Kenai River sockeye salmon sport fishery in order to provide additional protection for late run Kenai River sockeye salmon stocks. Commercial fish ing has been and will continue to be restricted to maximize passage of remaining Kenai River sockeye.