The initiative to ban setnets in urban areas of Alaska is an environmental issue. It is about protecting fish stocks and other sea animals from an outdated, harmful type of fishing gear. Setnets are simply walls of death.
Eight other states have voted to eliminate or enacted stringent limitations on these types of nets after witnessing the environmental and ecological damage they cause. Setnets are notorious for snagging unintended victims, or bycatch. Anything that passes near these nets can get tangled, including species that are threatened or in decline, such as our precious Kenai king salmon that have seen a dangerous drop in numbers. In fact, setnets have the highest rate of bycatch of any fishing method allowed in our state waters, meaning that their impact on ecosystems is very damaging.
Opponents of this initiative will argue that the proposed setnet ban is about trading 2,300 setnet-caught kings for 157 sport-caught kings and losing out on the money from a profitable commercial industry. The math is faulty.
Kenai king salmon populations have declined by 80 percent over the last decade, and the setnet fishery has contributed to their dwindling population with increasing rates of Kenai king salmon bycatch. Both the sport and the setnet fisheries have endured forced closures over the last three years due to alarmingly low Kenai king escapement numbers.
Sportfisheries also endure strict and enforced gear limitations throughout the season, yet the setnet industry has done nothing different. In commercial efforts to catch sockeye and boost the bottom line, the plight of Alaska's kings have been ignored. It's time for Alaskans to take notice and take action.
The economic argument about setnet vs. sport-caught kings bottoms out when you consider this: No amount of money will buy back Alaska's wild Kenai king salmon once they are gone for good. Alaskans can't make money off a resource that has disappeared.
We need to let the kings get to their natural streams to spawn and rebuild a healthy population. If that requires stricter limiting on king fishing for all user groups for several years, I am all for taking those measures.
Many setnet supporters say that the end of setnets will be the end of commercial fishing in Cook Inlet. That is not true. In reality, setnets are just one method of harvest. Those reds now caught by setnets will still be harvested by other commercial means. That decision regarding gear type will be up to the state Board of Fisheries. There are plenty of other harvest options that have significantly lower rates of bycatch kings and are more environmentally responsible. The driftnet fleet in Cook Inlet does a remarkable job at keeping bycatch levels low.
In Washington and Oregon, fishing permit buyback programs have ensured that fishery management decisions do not adversely impact the economic well-being of the community. Alaska has plenty of options -- we just need to be progressive and forward thinking.
We all agree that commercial fishing is an economic engine in our state, and no one wants to see the end of this way of life in Alaska, which is exactly why we need measures like the urban commercial setnet ban to protect fish populations and make sure they stay healthy and abundant for future generations. If we hope to continue this profitable and meaningful industry in the future, we need to be responsible stewards of our resources.
Any species in jeopardy must be protected, or we will see the demise of our natural salmon runs just like those in the Pacific Northwest. The heart of this initiative is conservation, and we need to start now before it's too late. This initiative would only affect setnets in Alaska's urban areas. Rural, subsistence, and personal dipnetting would not be affected. Our children and grandchildren might not fish with the same methods that we use now, but at least they will be fishing.
Joe Connors is a University of Alaska Anchorage professor emeritus, retired U.S. Army captain, and a former setnetter. He has lived in Alaska since 1970 and serves as the president of the Alaska Fisheries Conservation Alliance.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, e-mail commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com