SPORT FISHING – FACT SHEET

Summary The is the most intensively fished river in . In recent years, an average of 127,000 angler days across the . An angler day is one person fishing for any part of a day. Resident and non-resident anglers participate in a variety of fisheries throughout the Kenai River system, including guided and non-guided drift boat and bank fishing and dip netting. Anglers target four species of North Pacific : pink, coho, sockeye and Chinook.

Overview and Trends Sport fishing on the Kenai River have experienced a steady increase, both in the number of anglers and user days over the last 20 years. On average, the number of anglers has increase by 440 permits every year. The number of guides has also increased in response to the fishing demand.

Kenai Pen. freshwater sport ish angler days 160,000 140,000 120,000 100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000

# anglers by area 20,000 0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2004 2014 Year

Figure 1. Number of Kenai Peninsula sport fish angler days over time.

5/13/16 Uncertainties These projections are based on historical participation. Allocation can drive the overall participation levels in the sport fishery, but is much harder to predict. Human population growth in Southcentral Alaska will likely increase and could increase pressure on the sport fisheries, regardless of abundance or allocation decisions.

Driver Interactions Shifts in local and regional demographics can certainly impact participation in the sport fishery. Additional population in the region, especially increases in development along the river, can also impact participation in the sport fishery. Additionally perception about the impact of climatic change can also impact participation in the fishery. Finally, a shift in economic focus can impact the potential for growth in the sport fishery industry.

References Alaska Department of Fish and Game. 2016. Sport Fishing Information by Area, Kenai Peninsula. Sport Fisheries Division, Anchorage, AK. online [URL]: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=SportByAreaSouthcentral.main. Alaska Department of Natural Resources. 2015. Kenai River Commercial Operator Trends and Numbers. Division of Parks and Recreation, Soldotna, AK.

T EST C ASE 5/13/16