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Tasty
Finale
Dipnetters share salmon recipes
Oilers, Bucs wrap up 5-game series
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CLARION
Sunshine 67/51 More weather on Page A-2
P E N I N S U L A
THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2014 Soldotna-Kenai, Alaska
Vol. 44, Issue 247
50 cents newsstands daily/$1.00 Sunday
U.S. names Arctic envoy
Question Should the City of Kenai regulate electronic cigarettes in restaurants and healthcare facilities the same as smoking tobacco? n Yes, they release toxins in the air; n No, the vapor is less harmful than smoke; n The city should wait until more conclusive studies are complete. To place your vote and comment, visit our Web site at www. peninsulaclarion. com. Results and selected comments will be posted each Tuesday in the Clarion, and a new question will be asked. Suggested questions may be submitted online or e-mailed to news@peninsulaclarion.com. C
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In the news Pets lost in Sterling house fire Several pets died in a house fire in Sterling Wednesday morning. Central Emergency Services responded to a residential fire at 10:35 a.m. on Barbara Street off Mile 82 of the Sterling Highway. Crews arrived within 10 minutes to find a two-story house emitting smoke but didn’t find any occupants inside, according to a press release from CES Health and Safety Officer Brad Nelson. Firefighters had the fire under control in 15 minutes and extinguished in 30 minutes. Nobody was injured in the fire, but CES reported that several pets were lost. Investigation revealed the fire originated from the kitchen downstairs. The value of the home is assessed at $153,000 with an estimated $60,000 in damage. The home is not considered a loss, according to the release. — Dan Balmer
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By LARA JAKES AP National Security Writer
Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion
Dipnetters fish for sockeye salmon from boats near the mouth of the Kenai River Monday.
Fishery enforcement ramps up Wildlife troopers issue citations for dipnetting violations By DAN BALMER Peninsula Clarion
With thousands of dipnetters on the water in anticipation of the peak sockeye salmon runs on the Kenai River, the Alaska Wildlife Troopers have increased their presence in the area for the rest of the month. In addition to the 13 wildlife troopers already assigned to the Soldotna post, six troopers arrived Wednesday to patrol the Kasilof and Kenai river personal-use fisheries, said Alaska Wildlife Trooper Lt. Paul McConnell. The Soldotna post is short on manpower with two vacant positions unfilled, wildlife troopers from around the state have been brought in to help
Alaska Wildlife Troopers have issued 44 citations from July 8-14 for the Kenai River and Kasilof River personal-use fisheries. Fail to record — 11 Fail to mark fish — 5 Fail to release snagged salmon — 2 Fishing during closed period — 8 Dipnetting in closed wa-
enforce fishery regulations, he said. This year the Alaska State Legislature added $175,000 to the troopers’ budget to aid in the enforcement of the Cook Inlet fisheries. McConnell said
ters — 6 Sport fish guiding without a guide license — 1 Not releasing king salmon — 3 Not releasing Dolly Varden — 4 No dipnet permit — 1 No boat registration — 1 Non-resident — 1 Falsification of license — 1
the extra funds have allowed the troopers to provide a more significant presence. Wildlife Troopers have issued 30 citations to dipnetters on the Kenai River since July 10 when the fishery opened,
according to troopers dispatch. McConnell said despite lower crowds for the opening weekend, a majority of violations issued to dipnetters for failing to record their catches and fishing during closed periods. “The biggest thing people need to remember is record and mark your fish before you leave your fish site,” McConnell said. “We ask people to make sure they all know the regulations. It is better to ask questions before you go out because it’s a lot less expensive when you get yourself into trouble.” Alaska Department of Fish and Game regulations state, “the salmon must be marked before the salmon is concealed See DIPNET, page A-7
WASHINGTON — A retired Coast Guard admiral was named Wednesday as the first U.S. special representative for Arctic issues, overseeing American policy in the icy region that is becoming a global focus for economic opportunities and security concerns. In a statement, Secretary of State John Kerry said retired Adm. Robert J. Papp has broad foreign policy experience and a “passion” for the Arctic that makes him the ideal diplomat to advance U.S. interests in the region. “I could not be happier that he agreed to postpone his well-deserved retirement and join our effort in a cause about which he is both passionate and wise,” Kerry said of Papp, who stepped down as Coast Guard commandant just two months ago. The U.S. next year will chair the Arctic Council, which is made up of eight nations that reach into the Arctic Circle and aims to protect the thawing region as its seas open to commercial shipping traffic. The U.S. touches the Arctic Circle in Alaska, and that state’s two U.S. senators have long pressed the Obama administration to name a permanent envoy to the region. The Arctic is growing hotter faster than any part of the globe. Global warming has melted sea ice to levels that have given rise See ARCTIC, page A-2
Fishery managers contend with ‘perfect storm’ By RASHAH McCHESNEY Peninsula Clarion
A scenario that area management biologists were hoping to avoid is playing out between the Kenai king and Kasilof sockeye salmon fisheries this week as strong sockeye salmon runs continue to push their way into the Cook Inlet while weak king salmon runs will likely force further restrictions on fishing in the Kenai and Kasilof rivers. Sportfishing anglers, personal-use fishing dipnetters and both set and drift gillnetting commercial fishers have found their means, methods and available time affected as Alaska Department of Fish and Game
managers juggle competing fishing interests and conservation during the busiest time of the fishing season on the Kenai Peninsula. For the third fishing season in a row managers are calling the situation a “perfect storm” of competing salmon escapement goals.
Commercial fishing Commercial fishers have harvested about 1 million sockeye in Upper Cook Inlet as of July 15, according to Fish and Game data, but they have also taken about 1,000 king salmon. Efforts to reduce the harvest of king salmon, while maintaining — or raising — the harvest of
sockeye salmon have kept management biologists busy over the last few weeks. “We’re spinning all the plates,” said Aaron Dupuis, assistant area management biologist in the commercial fishing division of Fish and Game. Dupuis and area management biologist Pat Shields are tasked with managing the commercial fishing fleet to control sockeye escapement. Currently on the central Kenai Peninsula, that means opening the Cook Inlet to drift gillnet fishing and putting two sections of the east side setnet fishery into the water to harvest sockeye salmon bound for the Kenai and Kasilof rivers. However, a no-bait fishing
restriction on the late run of Kenai River king salmon automatically puts a 36-hour per week cap on the number of hours setnet fishers can be in the water, meaning managers must operate within the confines of that hourly restriction while trying to slow sockeye escapement on the Kasilof River. The setnet fishery is split into two sections, commonly called the Kasilof Section and the Kenai and East Forelands sections. One is located south of and closer to the Kasilof River, the other closer to the Kenai River. While the Kasilof section of the setnet fishery has been in the water several times since their
first fishing period in late June, the Kenai section of the setnet fishery opened for the first period during the second week of July and have since been out of the water for a week. Dupuis said keeping the Kenai section of the setnet fishery from fishing was a maneuver designed to avoid harvesting Kenai River-bound king salmon. “We have low numbers of kings and haven’t gotten hit by a big push of Kenai Riverbound sockeye,” Dupuis said. “Our plan was to fish on abundance.” Kasilof River sockeye salmon have continued to pour into the river, despite efforts by See FISH, page A-7
Kodiak community digs in Alutiiq Museum plans annual archaeology dig KODIAK (AP) — The Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak is preparing for its 17th annual community archaeology dig, where nonprofessionals can participate in real research at an actual excavation site. The dig is set to begin Monday and continue until Aug. 8 at the Kashevaroff site, which is among those the museum has excavated in Womens Bay, KMXT reported. Excavation at the site began last year through the Com-
munity Archaeology Project, which started in 1997. The excavation target at the base of Kashevaroff Mountain is believed to be a late prehistoric house as much as 400 years old, according to Amy Steffian, the museum’s director of research and publications. The site predates Russian settlers and also contains evidence of visitation dating back as far as 7,000 years, according to Steffian, who helped start the community project with ar-
chaeologist Patrick Saltonstall. “Around the house we found many large ulus — great big slate cutting knives that are sort of the shape that you would use to split fish,” she said. Half of the house was excavated last year. Steffian said a second room might be located behind a room that was excavated. But she’s not certain there is. AP Photo/Alutiiq Museum “You never know what This August 2013 image shows volunteers working alongside you’re going to find,” she said. Alutiiq Museum staff to uncover a sod house occupied 400 See DIG, page A-2 years ago by an Alutiiq family on Kodiak Island. C
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