The Editor’s Note

Including this month’s piece on September’s Kenai Silver Salmon Derby (page 22), I’ve written previews for several 2022 Alaska fishing contests in recent issues, adding Kenai’s derby to the Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament, the various Valdez Fish Derbies and events and the Seward Silver Salmon Derby, which takes place this month.

In all of those instances, I have been impressed with the enthusiasm tournament organizers and the communities have for hosting these contests, which serve the dual purposes of giving anglers a chance to catch big fish for big money and showcase the cities/regions to visitors and participants.

And as you’ll see this month, it’s hard to not root for a successful turnout at the Kenai Silver Derby. Besides the unique format – the heaviest fish doesn’t claim the daily prizes to discourage anglers from releasing smaller silvers – proceeds from ticket sales and sponsors will fund a Kenai River habitat restoration project to be determined.

That’s important, as like many fisheries in Alaska, the Kenai’s king salmon runs are struggling. In our Alaska Beat news feature this month (page 17), we list several waters where Chinook fishing is closed or limited to catch and release.

State managers announced that the Kenai, one of the state’s iconic salmon rivers, would close for king fishing July 17-31, and retention of kings was not allowed during the dip-netting season. The state also announced that Kenai River anglers had to fish with unbaited single hooks and artificial lures only from Aug. 1-15. As with so many other locales throughout the state, Kenai residents are angry about low returns of kings that are prompting closures.

“It’s incredibly frustrating. It not only impacts our sportfishing, but with the low abundance of kings because it’s a mixed stock, it impacts our commercial fishery as well,” Kenai city manager and derby cofounder Paul Ostrander told me, reinforcing the approach his city’s fishing derby has taken to help protect coho salmon as well.

“The fish stocks in the area, some of them are in a time of very low abundance – king salmon in particular. So we think it’s really important for people to be responsible when they’re out fishing. And this certainly advocates for that. So it is a really important concept. And the other thing is, when we talk to (Alaska Department of) Fish and Game, if it ever gets to the point where they’re concerned about coho abundance, we would cancel the derby. We haven’t had to do that.”

Let’s hope it stays that way. Ostrander and others are considering salmon projects to fund with proceeds from previous and upcoming derbies. One he mentioned would help restore Kenai River tributary habitat that young coho utilize. Could that also benefit the river’s Chinook runs?

“I don't know what the impact of preserving the small tributaries is for our king stock, but it likely could protect the king stock as well,” Ostrander says. “Anything that could help protect the river and is going to improve the habitat is going to make it better for those fish.”

We’re rooting for you, Kenai River!

-Chris Cocoles

King salmon retention on the Kenai River was curtailed in July, including for dipnetters. The low runs are causing a lot of angst and frustration around the community, which will still carry on with its silver salmon derby in