Cook Inlet in the US; salmon rehab bills before AK Legislature

Published 2023년 5월 11일

Tridge summary

A new bill in the Alaska State House proposes a set-net permit buyback program for Cook Inlet fisherman, aimed at addressing the declining fishery and providing a living for set-netters. Introduced by Rep. Justin Ruffridge and Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, the bill would allow permit holders to sell their permits back to the state, resulting in the area being closed for commercial fishing. If passed, the program would be voluntary and would purchase up to 200 permits, about half of those in the fishery. In a separate issue, a bill advanced in the House Fisheries Committee discusses rehabilitating Alaska fisheries through permits that allow Alaskans to incubate fish and release them, despite concerns about inbreeding and the effectiveness of hatcheries.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

By Riley Board, KDLL/KenaiMay 9, 2023 A new bill in the Alaska State House would create a set-net permit buyback program for Cook Inlet fisherman, building on years of similar legislation introduced by Kenai Peninsula lawmakers. Soldotna Rep. Justin Ruffridge introduced the bill yesterday, May 8. It’s a companion to a bill Sen. Jesse Bjorkman of Nikiski introduced earlier in the legislative session, which has been making its way through the Senate. Bjorkman’s bill is a homage to legislation introduced twice by former Soldotna Sen. Peter Micciche when he was in office. The bills would give Cook Inlet east side permit holders the option to sell back their permits to the state, as the fishery declines and fewer set-netters can make a living fishing the Inlet. Those who sell their permits could recoup the money, and the area where they fished would be closed to future commercial fishing. Set-netters have been supportive of variations of the bill over the years, and say it would create ...

Source: AlaskaFish Radio