Last Shoe To Drop - ADFG Closes Kenai River Early King Run - Restricts Kasilof

It was more than expected, it was a given. The terrible returning numbers for Lower Peninsula king runs prompted the closure of those waters as well as Cook Inlet saltwaters within 1 mile of shore by Emergency Order last week.

Now the dismal counts for Kenai River and Kasilof River early king salmon runs have resulted in a complete closure of the Kenai River early king season and the Kasilof River only allows hatchery king retention with single hook, no bait, 2 per day.

The restrictions go into effect at 12:01am Wednesday June 10th.

Kenai Run EO - https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/EONR/index.cfm?ADFG=region.NR&NRID=2948&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=

Kasilof Run EO - https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/EONR/index.cfm?ADFG=region.NR&NRID=2951&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=

This makes me feel a little sad. I thought Alaska was the land of milk and honey. And lots of salmon.

The Arctic is warming up faster than any other place on the planet. We are not immune to the changes in the environment that issue creates. And warmer sea temps, with more severe El Nino's are changing so fast the biological side of the equation is struggling to adapt for survival.  Many of our salmon run declines in the past ten years are most often a result of a response to the impacts on their food supplies.

The mighty Copper River sockeye commercial fishery has been shut down for three commfish periods in a row now due to low numbers through the sonar counters.