Proposals would close Homer Spit waters to commercial fishing

The Alaska Board of Fisheries will take up two proposals that would close waters around the Homer Spit to commercial fishing when it meets Dec. 1-4 in Seward. One proposal would ban commercial fishing within a half-mile of the Spit. A second would push that closure line out to a full mile.

The proposals are part of a larger Lower Cook Inlet package recorded in the Lower Cook Inlet proposal book. Other proposals in the package would repeal the use of commercial beach seine gear in all Cook Inlet waters, repeal the Cook Inlet sablefish trip limit, and repeal the Port Graham Hatchery Salmon Hatchery Management Plan. The beach seine and trip limit measures would change gear types or catch limits for commercial fishermen. This board cycle also covers finfish proposals for the Upper Cook Inlet and Kodiak management areas.

The 2026 Cook Inlet sablefish fishery carries a guideline harvest level of 115,000 pounds, about 1% below the 116,000-pound guideline set for 2025, according to the department's 2026 groundfish outlook.

Local advisory committees will review the package first and send recommendations to the board, which makes the final call. The Kenai/Soldotna committee meets Oct. 21 at 6 pm at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Soldotna. The Prince William Sound/Valdez committee meets Nov. 4 by Zoom at 4 pm. The Anchorage committee meets Nov. 10 at 6 pm at the William Jack Hernandez Hatchery. All three meetings are open to the public.

Written comments to the board are due Nov. 16.