Anchorage Daily News

KODIAK -- Kodiak's salmon season suffered another blow Friday when the Alaska Department of Fish and Game cut the bag limit for Ayakulik River red salmon in the face of disappointing returns.

As of Thursday, 80,058 reds had passed the Ayakulik weir, well below the escapement goal of 200,000-400,000 that biologists want to sustain the run. Perhaps more troubling, the return -- which often arrives in pulses of fish -- dwindled this week. Over the last four days, just 116 reds passed the weir.

By comparision, as of July 10 last year, 135,726 reds had passed the Ayakulik weir, and by the end of the run, more than 282,000 reds had made it upstream to spawn.

"Even assuming a late run, restrictions in the ... sport fishery are warranted in order to reduce the ... harvest while still allowing fishing opportunity as the run strength continues to be evaluated," Kodiak area management biologist Len Schwarz said in a press release.

Beginning 12:01 a.m. Monday, anglers will be limited to two fish per day, four in possession.

King salmon returns in the Ayakulik and Karluk rivers on Kodiak have been exceptionally weak this season, as has the red salmon return to the Buskin River.

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