NOAA approves rule barring fishing in Cook Inlet federal waters

The area stretches north from about Anchor Point to Ninilchik, and is 3 nautical miles to 200 nautical miles off Alaska.

Upper Cook Inlet Exclusive Economic Zone can be seen on this map provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (Image via fisheries.noaa.gov)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday issued its final rule on an amendment that will prohibit commercial fishing in part of the Cook Inlet.

Amendment 14 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Salmon Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off Alaska states that commercial salmon fishing will be prohibited in the federal waters of the Cook Inlet.

The area stretches north from about Anchor Point to Ninilchik, and is 3 nautical miles to 200 nautical miles off Alaska.

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According to a press release from NOAA Alaska, the regulation will take effect for the 2022 Cook Inlet commercial salmon fishing season and will impact the Cook Inlet drift gillnet fishery, which is the only commercial salmon fishery that operates in that zone.

The new rule does not close salmon fishing in state-regulated waters.