Traditional Use Fishing

Subsistence fisheries within Cook Inlet include the Tyonek Fishery on the west side of Cook Inlet and the Seldovia fishery in Kachemak Bay. Residents of Ninilchik have subsistence fisheries in the Kasilof and Kenai Rivers . Halibut may be caught as well by residents of rural communities through the Federal subsistence halibut program. Other subsistence fisheries include herring, bottomfish, and shellfish which are described below. Additional fisheries that occur outside the nonsubsistence use areas include whitefish in the Tyone River, as well as several locations for Dolly Varden and smelt. See subsistence regulations (external link) for more information on where specific fisheries occur, open fishing periods, and allowable gear type (ADF&G website, 2013).”

Cook Inlet also hosts what are called educational fisheries, defined in statute as a fishery meant to allow for education of future generations through practice of fish harvest and utilization.  In the Central District of Upper Cook Inlet, there are currently seven groups permitted to conduct educational fisheries.  These groups include the Kenaitze Tribal Group, Ninilchik Traditional Council, Ninilchick Native Descendents, Ninilchik Emergency Services, Anchor Point VFW, Kasilof Historical Association, and the Southcentral Foundation.  You can learn more about education fisheries, how they are written into Alaska statute, and more by visiting the ADF&G website (external link).

Board of Directors

Norm Darch, Executive Director
Mike Simpson, E&E Foods, VP of Alaska Operations (President)
Erik Huebsch, Kasilof Drift boat owner (Vice-President)
Janet Carroll, OBI Foods (Board Member)
Joseph Person, Setnet Fisherman (Board Member)
Richard King, Rogue Wave Processing (Board Member)
Robert Nathanson, OBI Foods (Alternate Member)
Ryan Doktor, E&E Foods, Plant manager (Alternate Member)