Cook Inlet advisory committees to review Homer Spit and Ninilchik king proposals

Three Cook Inlet fish and game advisory committees will review 50 Lower Cook Inlet fisheries proposals over the next two weeks, including plans to close waters around the Homer Spit to commercial fishing and to set a new goal for Ninilchik River king salmon.

Advisory committees are local groups that discuss fishing and wildlife issues and make recommendations to the Alaska Board of Fisheries and Board of Game. The Board of Fisheries will take up most of the proposals when it meets in Seward Dec. 1-4.

The Kenai/Soldotna committee continues its review at 6 pm Wednesday at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Soldotna. Tyonek meets at noon Nov. 3 by Zoom. Cooper Landing meets at 10 am Nov. 9 at the Cooper Landing Community Club and by Zoom. It will also take up antlerless moose reauthorizations for the Board of Game.

One proposal would set a large-fish goal for Ninilchik River king salmon, counting only fish 28 inches or longer. The proposal says larger female kings produce more eggs and that protecting enough of them is needed to rebuild the stock. The department's review of salmon spawning goals recommended keeping the current goal of 900 to 1,600 fish and said more evaluation is ongoing. Wild escapement there was 1,045 fish after broodstock removals in 2025.

As Alaska News reported Oct. 11, other proposals would close commercial fishing within a half mile or a mile of the Homer Spit. Still others would amend the Tutka Bay Lagoon hatchery plan, repeal the Port Graham hatchery plan, end the 24-hour closure between parallel and state-waters Pacific cod seasons and repeal the Cook Inlet sablefish trip limit.

Comments are due Nov. 16 through the board's online comment form.