Salmon Research, Fish Team Says, is Bedrock for Healthy Fisheries
A diverse team of fisheries experts and stakeholders identified and prioritized research needed to manage healthy salmon stocks in Upper Cook Inlet during a two-day workshop Jan. 21 & 22. This is the first time that a prioritized salmon research plan has been done for Upper Cook Inlet, even though these waters have been vital to Alaska fishing for more than 50 years.
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission convened the workshop to solicit and fund research that would benefit struggling Mat-Su bound salmon stocks.
For more than a decade, the number of salmon returning to Northern Cook Inlet streams has been declining detrimentally. Factors in both freshwater and the ocean reduce the salmon runs. As examples, too few salmon are escaping interception fisheries in Cook Inlet and making it back to the Mat-Su to make new fish; and salmon-eating pike are in some areas. High seas factors are likely reducing King salmon returns in Mat-Su and across Alaska.
Funding for the workshop and research projects came from a capital grant recently awarded to the Mat-Su Borough from the State Legislature. $900,000 of the $2.4 million grant was dedicated to culvert replacements to improve fish passage. These funds have been matched with federal and road service area funds to complete four fish passage projects in 2014.
Three major goals were identified in the plan:
Workshop participants represented federal, state and local agencies, conservation groups, sportfishing and commercial fishing interests. The team identified issues and research options for each goal. Issues were ranked and prioritized to identify the highest priority research needs for salmon in the Upper Cook Inlet.
Among the highest ranked projects:
Escapement goals are essential for ensuring healthy salmon stock. Goals provide benchmarks for fishery managers to identify potential problems and fishery management targets. The information helps optimize production and, for example, the commercial harvest for Kenai sockeye while also protecting northern bound coho and sockeye runs. Unfortunately, goals have been established for only a few Mat-Su salmon species and stocks.
Genetic and migration studies will help identify where and when different salmon are running in Cook Inlet during the commercial fishing season. This type of information was recently used to establish a conservation corridor for coho salmon through the mixed species and stock commercial drift gill net fishery. These changes were associated with some of the best coho salmon runs into Mat-Su streams in recent years. Last summer, the best escapement of coho resulted on the Little Su since 2006, and the best numbers on Fish Creek since 2002.
Protection of healthy salmon habitats and productivity is essential to long-term sustainability and fishery value.
The draft Mat-Su Salmon Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Plan for Upper Cook Inlet will be circulated for public review and comments in February.
For more information about the salmon plan and Fish and Wildlife Commission contact:
Commissioner Larry Engel at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. or Public Affairs Director Patty Sullivan at (907) 861-8577, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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