2016 hauled in mixed bag for Alaska commercial fisheries

As with any season, 2016 had plenty of winners and losers in the Alaska commercial fishing industry. The year started off with a huge sigh of relief from Upper Cook Inlet salmon setnet fishermen when the Alaska Supreme Court over-ruled a decision by a Superior Court judge that would have allowed a ballot measure to ban setnets in “urban areas,” but was targeted at Cook Inlet. If the ballot measure had been allowed to go to a vote and had won, it not only would have made it more difficult to manage the sockeye fishery, but it also would have eliminated the livelihood of the 700 Upper Cook Inlet setnet permit holders, 85 percent of which are Alaska residents. At the beginning of the year, halibut fishermen were feeling optimistic,,, Salmon fisheries across the state fell far short of expectations,,, Read the rest of the story here 11:33

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