I have been commercial fishing since 1973, owner of my own seiner since 1983
I’ve been negatively impacted by this organization for the past 15 years—longer if you include the mismanagement prior to 2010, which I’ve summarized below.
In Kachemak Bay, CIAA started a hatchery inside Tutka Lagoon, They ruined a great fishery there. We use to have a lagoon opener there every year in July—a natural pink salmon run. Before CIAA took over fishermen made a great living in K-bay. Now most of K-Bay is planted terminal fisheries, which they have to plant annually.
Resurrection Bay in Seward had a great pink and chum fisheries from 1974 to 1990.
History on Bear Lake: The FRED division took over Bear Lake in the 70’s and poisoned the lake for the benefit of coho, but they let about 1000 sockeyes every year into the lake. They abandoned the project and eventually CIAA stepped in.
When CIAA took over in Resurrection Bay, they planted fish in Grouse Lake, didn’t implant them properly so the sockeyes milled around in saltwater till they were ready to spawn, then went up the river. CIAA didn’t let any fish into the lake and ended up selling them all for dogfood at .10 a lb. After several years’ mistakes they succeeded in wiping out the natural run there.
Next, they targeted Bear Lake, which was never suppose to have any cost recovery. They formed the Bear Creek Management Plan which would give them a 50/50 split with common property for the fishermen.
But in 2010, when CIAA’s cash pipeline from the federal government went dry, they petitioned the Board of Fish for 100% of Resurrection Bay salmon catch, going as far as attempting to stop sport fishing as well as commercial fishing in a desperate attempt for money. Although this is a violation of Alaska law, by designating a natural resource to a single user group, the BOF granted them 2 years since that is when the BOF would meet again for Lower Cook Inlet Area.
In 2012 CIAA requested to keep taking 100%. The BOF told them they need to put together a committee to solve their financial problems. The board consisted of 2 CIAA board members, 2 commercial fishermen (who were both on the CIAA board), and 2 ADF&G Biologists, one being the senior biologist—Lee Hammarstrom. The meeting lasted less then 1 minute: Lee walked in, said “You can have them all. Meeting’s over.” Then he left.
Since CIAA started taking 100% of the Bear Lake run, the common property fisheries have had very little, just mainly the clean up after the cost recovery boats leave, which is basically nothing.
From 2010 to 2025, CIAA has taken 1.1 million sockeyes out of Resurrection Bay. At a 4.5 average that’s about 4,950,000 lbs of sockeyes that CIAA gets premium money for since it is a early run and competes with the prices of Copper River Sockeyes. The Fishermen get nothing from it.
Since CIAA took over and introduced a early run sockeye from Tustumena Lake stock—to compete with Copper River for a better price—the local natural run has been decimated. CIAA lets 13.500 early run sockeyes into the lake then they sell anything after that for cost recovery (any of the natural run that makes it upriver) and the take broodstock from the 13,500 fish allowed in. It’s a vicious, killing cycle that has wiped out the natural Bear Lake stock.
That’s how CIAA manages their areas—for perpetual “management” not to benefit the natural stocks. Since CIAA took over commercial fisherman have lost millions of dollars from destroyed fisheries or closed fisheries under CIAA managed projects: both pink and chum runs in Resurrection Bay and the pink fisheries in K-Bay.
Fisherman use to make $200-$300K a year in K-bay but once CIAA took over they were lucky to make $50-$100K a year.
CIAA creates terminal fisheries, mainly for their board members to be able to fish locally in K-Bay and to justify interception of upper inlet sockeyes.
CIAA has been taking 100% of the fish they produce, decimating natural runs, and they are going further and further in debt. This needs to stop.
The community of Seward is negatively impacted by the Bear Creek weir, which is grossly mismanaged (I have videos on YouTube). The manufactured stock is not healthy and the natural run has been sabotaged, not protected. It sickens me what CIAA has done in my home.
Trail Lakes Hatchery was marginal, at best, when the state divested itself of the facility in 1988. It’s been a mess ever since with disease and bad water, and needs to be returned to the state for conversion to a tourist facility or destruction.
The only reason the Board of CIAA continues to fight to keep their existence is to have a cover for intercepting Upper Cook Inlet sockeye salmon. Of the 1,400 permit holders, less than 20 are active commercial fishermen, most in the Lower Cook Inlet area, and they have a death grip on CIAA’s existence to justify opening Kachemak Bay while the reds are running into the upper Cook Inlet.
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