Resurrection Bay is photographed from Seward, Alaska, in March 2018. (Staff/Peninsula Clarion)

Resurrection Bay is photographed from Seward, Alaska, in March 2018. (Staff/Peninsula Clarion)

Rockfish limits in Cook Inlet, Resurrection Bay reduced

The change is being implemented in response to substantial increases of rockfish harvest in those areas

A reduction of bag and possession limits for rockfish in Cook Inlet, the North Gulf Coast and Resurrection Bay saltwaters was announced by the State Department of Fish and Game on Thursday.

The new limit, which is effective from May 15 until Dec. 31, is three per day and six in possession. Of those, only one per day and two in possession can be nonpelagic. The existing limit is five per day and 10 in possession in Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay; four per day and eight in possession in the North Gulf Coast and Resurrection Bay.

The change is being implemented, according to a release from the department, in response to substantial increases of rockfish harvest in those areas — over 50,000 fish annually from 2019-2022. That number is described in the release as a 300% increase from historical averages.

“Rockfish are slow-growing and long-lived fish that are consistently found in the same locations,” says Cook Inlet Area Management Biologist Mike Booz in the release. “Because of these traits, rockfish are susceptible to overharvest with long periods for recovery, which requires a conservative management approach.”

The increased harvest of rockfish, the release says, is “assumed to be associated with a shifting of effort from Pacific halibut to other species.” The halibut fishery is restricted this year by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2023 charter regulations.

For more information about fishing regulations and conservation efforts, visit adfg.alaska.gov.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in News

A freshly stocked rainbow trout swims in Johnson Lake during Salmon Celebration on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, at Johnson Lake in Kasilof, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Lake fishing still ‘excellent’

Northern Kenai Fishing report

Kenai adopts budget, staff recruitment strategies

The city expects there to be a general fund surplus of about $436,000 in fiscal year 2025

A special weather statement has been issued for the Kenai Peninsula and surrounding areas. (Screenshot via National Weather Service)
‘Unseasonably strong storm’ forecast for this weekend

Saturday is set to be busy around the central peninsula, with a variety of events scheduled

Photo provided by United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development
Chugachmiut Board Vice Chair Larry Evanoff from Chenega, Chair Fran Norman from Port Graham, and Director Arne Hatch from Qutekcak break ground for the Chugachmiut Regional Health Center in Seward, June 3. The occasion marked the start of construction of the $20 million facility. The 15,475-square-foot tribally owned and operated health clinic will serve as a regional hub providing medical, dental and behavioral health services for Alaskans in seven tribal communities.
Ground broken for new regional health center in Seward

The tribally owned and operated facility will serve as a regional hub providing medical, dental and behavioral health care

The Kasilof River is seen from the Kasilof River Recreation Area, July 30, 2019, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
Kasilof River personal use gillnet fishery closed

It’s the Kenai River optimal escapement goal, not a Kasilof River escapement goal, that is cited by the announcement as triggering the close

The Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center is seen on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai cuts ties with out-of-state marketing firm

Council members expressed skepticism about the firm’s performance

A firefighter from Cooper Landing Emergency Services refills a water tanker at the banks of the Kenai River in Cooper Landing, Alaska on Aug. 30, 2019. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
Cooper Landing voters to consider emergency service area for region

The community is currently served by Cooper Landing Emergency Services

Hundreds gather for the first week of the Levitt AMP Soldotna Music Series on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at Soldotna Creek Park in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna music series kicks off with crowds, colors and sunshine

A color run took off ahead of performances by Blackwater Railroad Company and BenJammin The Jammin Band

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Finance Director Liz Hayes, left, testifies before the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly during a budget work session on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Assembly passes borough budget

The document fully funds borough schools and includes a decrease in property taxes

Most Read