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Every year tens of thousands of Alaskans and their families flock to the shores of the Kenai and Kasilof rivers, stick a net in the water and, hopefully, return to their homes with at least 25 fish. Dipnetters swell the Kenai Peninsula every year, yet despite the large number of participants, they went largely unrepresented at the Board of Fish meetings for a long time.

"Dipnetters are always under attack at the Board of Fisheries," said Ken Federico, president of the South Central Alaska Dipnetters Association, which formed about a year and a half ago and recently reached non profit status. "No one's ever been representing the dipnetters. Dipnetters never had their own voice at the Board of Fisheries."

Last year Federico blanketed the parking lots on Kenai's north and south beaches, sticking pamphlets and group applications on peoples' windshields. He also relied on word of mouth to inform dipnetters of the association and persuaded about 70 people to join. Currently association members confer via e-mail and telephone, but because of its newly-attained non profit status, the association will meet soon, Federico said.

This year, association vice president Dennis Gease plans to join Federico in spreading the word.

"I was excited about the dipnetting (organization)," he said. "It's a great thing for the majority of Alaskans to be involved in to get food in their freezers."

Gease, who also serves on the Kenai Watershed Forum and is a former member of the Kenai-Soldotna Fish and Game Advisory Committee, said he wants more people from the Mat-Su and Anchorage to join the association. Most Kenai Peninsula residents don't have a problem getting to the beaches to fill their freezers, he said, but Anchorage and Mat-Su dipnetters face a long drive and often have only a few days to fish before they have to return. Because of the limited number of days most can spend dipnetting, Gease said he'd like to see commercial fishermen stay out of the water for a few weekends to allow dipnetters their fair share.

"We're not as restricted as, say, working people in Anchorage and the Mat-Su," he said. "They're more restricted to the weekends."

In addition to making sure dipnetters aren't out competed by the commercial fishery, both Gease and Federico said they'd like to see more restroom facilities that serve the Kasilof dipnet fishery. Gease also mentioned better garbage disposal and Federico said he would be interested in organizing a beach cleanup in Kenai when the fishery closes on July 31.

"I'd like to see dipnetters get a better reputation by the organization doing something in that area," Gease said. Dipnetters fill their gas tanks in the Kenai area, purchase groceries and other items, plus dipnetters in the Mat-Su and Anchorage are often unable to fill their freezers with the fish they get up there. "Everybody has their right to our resources," he said.

Federico, who lives in Wasilla with his 14-year-old daughter, said a trip to the Kenai Peninsula to go dipnetting one or two weekends during the season is often the only extended period of time he can spend with her. Dipnetting is also a tradition for many others as well, he said.

"I have to get my fish, get in and get out," he said. "I don't have time. Especially with gas money."

This year, because of the new regulation that prohibits two-stroke motors below the Warren Ames Bridge, Federico said he expects the beaches to be more crowded. Everyone in the association said the new regulation was for the betterment of the river, but Federico said one our of four boats that dipnetted on the Kenai River had the two-stroke engines.As Right now, as several thousand dipnetters get ready to descend upon Kenai, Federico said he would encourage them to respect each other, the dunes and the beach.

"Everyone needs to do their part," he said.

For more information on joining the South Central Alaska Dipnetters Association, e-mail Federico at kenfederico@mtaonline.net.

Jessica Cejnar can be reached at jessica.cejnar@peninsulaclarion.com.