ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A lot of dads are planning to do some recreational fishing thisfather's dayweekend, but before they head out, they might want to read the fine print, because emergency orders are in place -- anticipating yet another summer of low king salmon runs.
“It’s unprecedented,” said Robert Begich, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist who oversees the Kenai River, “since 2009 the Kenai River king salmon runs have been very low.”
2012 looks to be no different than the past four years, Begich said. As a result, Fish and Game issued an emergency order, prohibiting people from keeping king salmon between 20 and 55 inches.
Read the order here for more specifics
Some of the other spots to check for restrictions and emergency orders this weekend include the Little Susitna River, the Kasilof River, and the Ninilchik River.
Full list of emergency orders here
Begich says state biologists don’t understand why king runs are so weak. Managers just know that when fish run in the numbers they're seeing, they have to do something.
