Written public comment is now being accepted by the State Board of Fisheries for proposals set to be considered at their Upper Cook Inlet Finfish meeting in late February.
There are nearly 200 proposals that will be deliberated during the meeting, each seeking changes to fishing regulations mostly on the Kenai Peninsula.
The subject of the largest number of those proposals is the Kenai River Late-run King Salmon Management Plan, which last year prompted full-season closures of both the local king salmon sport fishery and the east side setnet fishery to reduce harvest of Kenai River kings, which were also recently named a stock of management concern.
Comments can be submitted by visiting the meeting page for the Board of Fisheries Upper Cook Inlet meeting. Guidelines say that each person seeking to comment should include their name or organization, describe which proposal or proposals they are commenting on, “clearly indicate” support or opposition and describe their reasoning.
In addition to a written field, a survey can be completed indicating support or opposition for each of the proposals to be included in the submission.
The submission form will be open and comments will be accepted through Feb. 8, with a submission deadline set for midnight.
Public, in-person testimony will also be accepted at the meeting, which will be held in Anchorage’s Egan Convention Center despite requests from local governments and anglers to hold the meeting on the Kenai Peninsula.
The deadline to sign up to give testimony, according to a board agenda posted online, is 10 a.m. on Feb. 24. Registration must be completed in person during the meeting, though the agenda says that people looking to speak can sign up through another individual who is present at the center.
For more information, or to submit public comment, visit boardoffisheries.adfg.alaska.gov.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
