2nd Annual Kodiak King Salmon Sportfishing Tournament
In their second year bigger and better.
Kodiak, AK, May 14, 2008 --(PR.com)-- The second edition of the Kodiak King Salmon ‘Peace Cup” Sportfishing Tournament will be underway soon. It is scheduled for May 16-July 6. With recent declines of West Coast Chinook stocks, the fishing derby – designed to support local king salmon enhancement – seems more important than ever in the effort to secure the future of Alaska’s premier gamefish.
Half the proceeds of the annual sportfishing tournament – administered by the Kodiak Lions Club and the Kodiak Regional Aquaculture Association (KRAA) – go to bolster the KRAA / Alaska Department of Fish and Game Kodiak road system king salmon enhancement project at the KRAA hatchery in Monashka Bay. The rest of the proceeds make up the contest purse.
“You can’t have too many king salmon,” said Judi Kidder, who, along with KRAA secretary Tammy Hulsey, have taken on the lion’s share of responsibility for conducting the annual Kodiak-wide fundraising event. Kidder runs the contest for the Lion’s, volunteering much of her week seeking sponsorship for the tournament.
(It’s a $50 entry for the contest duration or a $20 daily entry; new this year.) Some $20,000 was raised at last year’s event.
“It’s a win-win for Kodiak, it benefits everyone,” Kidder said. Her goal is to grow the tournament into a major event. “There’s no limit to how big this can be,” she said, “$100,000 is not out of the question.” She said she’s been approached by state and national publications interested in the project.
King salmon enhancement on Kodiak is also getting a big boost from the state. The director of ADF&G Sport Fish division has allocated an additional $80,000 in capital improvement funds to the Kodiak management area this year. State funding for the project is generated by the sale of sport fishing licenses and king salmon stamps.
The monies allow for an additional raceway at the Monashka Reservoir to grow kings to the size necessary for optimum survival in the wild. “The raceway is expected to be operating by June 2009,” said ADF&G area sportfish biologist Len Schwarz, who has worked on the aquaculture project since it began in the 1998. “The additional raceway will boost smolt production at least about 30 percent to approximately 150,000 fish.”
ADF&G does not have a hatchery in Kodiak and works with the KRAA to raise the king salmon. Local ADF&G sportfish staff collect adult king salmon to provide brood stock to the KRAA Pillar Creek hatchery. There, KRAA fertilizes the eggs and raises them to smolt size, ready to release.
“King salmon enhancement projects have been tried in Kodiak before,” said KRAA Executive Director Kevin Brennan, “but previous projects have not been successful in producing sustainable sportfishing opportunities.”
Brennan believes this popular project has a much better chance for success because of broad support across the community. “It has the support of local individuals and businesses and sportfishing organizations like the Kodiak Association of Charterboat Operators and the Kodiak Sportfishing Associations,” he said. “There’s community support from the City and Borough governments and Alaska native organizations such as Koniag and Lesnoi. There’s the support and expertise of ADF&G from the Commissioner’s office down to Len Schwarz and his staff, helping to ensure the success of the project in the long term.”
Brood stock for the project originally came from the Karluk River. “These are wild, not farmed fish,” Kidder said, correcting some misnomers around town. King salmon smolt from the project are currently imprinted and released in Monashka Creek, the American River and the Olds River. This provides new sport fishing opportunities for Kodiakans in early summer when adult fish return after growing a few years at sea.
The contest coincides with the return of these fish to local streams. While last year’s derby winning fish were caught in the ocean from boats near Old Harbor, there’s a possibility a future winner could be caught by a fly fisherman wading one of these rivers on the road system.
Kidder cautions enthusiastic captains against setting hooks for charter clients or friends who have tourney tickets. “You have to catch the fish from start to finish or you will be disqualified,” she said.
For information, contact Judi Kidder at (907)487-2421, or Tammy Hulsey at (907)486-6555, or log onto the tournament web site at www.kodiakfishingderby.org
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Half the proceeds of the annual sportfishing tournament – administered by the Kodiak Lions Club and the Kodiak Regional Aquaculture Association (KRAA) – go to bolster the KRAA / Alaska Department of Fish and Game Kodiak road system king salmon enhancement project at the KRAA hatchery in Monashka Bay. The rest of the proceeds make up the contest purse.
“You can’t have too many king salmon,” said Judi Kidder, who, along with KRAA secretary Tammy Hulsey, have taken on the lion’s share of responsibility for conducting the annual Kodiak-wide fundraising event. Kidder runs the contest for the Lion’s, volunteering much of her week seeking sponsorship for the tournament.
(It’s a $50 entry for the contest duration or a $20 daily entry; new this year.) Some $20,000 was raised at last year’s event.
“It’s a win-win for Kodiak, it benefits everyone,” Kidder said. Her goal is to grow the tournament into a major event. “There’s no limit to how big this can be,” she said, “$100,000 is not out of the question.” She said she’s been approached by state and national publications interested in the project.
King salmon enhancement on Kodiak is also getting a big boost from the state. The director of ADF&G Sport Fish division has allocated an additional $80,000 in capital improvement funds to the Kodiak management area this year. State funding for the project is generated by the sale of sport fishing licenses and king salmon stamps.
The monies allow for an additional raceway at the Monashka Reservoir to grow kings to the size necessary for optimum survival in the wild. “The raceway is expected to be operating by June 2009,” said ADF&G area sportfish biologist Len Schwarz, who has worked on the aquaculture project since it began in the 1998. “The additional raceway will boost smolt production at least about 30 percent to approximately 150,000 fish.”
ADF&G does not have a hatchery in Kodiak and works with the KRAA to raise the king salmon. Local ADF&G sportfish staff collect adult king salmon to provide brood stock to the KRAA Pillar Creek hatchery. There, KRAA fertilizes the eggs and raises them to smolt size, ready to release.
“King salmon enhancement projects have been tried in Kodiak before,” said KRAA Executive Director Kevin Brennan, “but previous projects have not been successful in producing sustainable sportfishing opportunities.”
Brennan believes this popular project has a much better chance for success because of broad support across the community. “It has the support of local individuals and businesses and sportfishing organizations like the Kodiak Association of Charterboat Operators and the Kodiak Sportfishing Associations,” he said. “There’s community support from the City and Borough governments and Alaska native organizations such as Koniag and Lesnoi. There’s the support and expertise of ADF&G from the Commissioner’s office down to Len Schwarz and his staff, helping to ensure the success of the project in the long term.”
Brood stock for the project originally came from the Karluk River. “These are wild, not farmed fish,” Kidder said, correcting some misnomers around town. King salmon smolt from the project are currently imprinted and released in Monashka Creek, the American River and the Olds River. This provides new sport fishing opportunities for Kodiakans in early summer when adult fish return after growing a few years at sea.
The contest coincides with the return of these fish to local streams. While last year’s derby winning fish were caught in the ocean from boats near Old Harbor, there’s a possibility a future winner could be caught by a fly fisherman wading one of these rivers on the road system.
Kidder cautions enthusiastic captains against setting hooks for charter clients or friends who have tourney tickets. “You have to catch the fish from start to finish or you will be disqualified,” she said.
For information, contact Judi Kidder at (907)487-2421, or Tammy Hulsey at (907)486-6555, or log onto the tournament web site at www.kodiakfishingderby.org
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Contact
Kodiak King Salmon Tournament
Judi Kidder
907-487-2421
kodiakfishingderby.org
Judi Kidder - Tournament Administrator
Judi Kidder
907-487-2421
kodiakfishingderby.org
Judi Kidder - Tournament Administrator
Contact
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