January 22, 2026, Seward Folly

by Dianne Dubuc

Vice Chair of the Seward Fish & Game Advisory Committee

In 2024, the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association (CIAA) experienced a catastrophic loss of all coho salmon brood stock collected by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) from the lagoon. This loss has direct and significant consequences for our community: a key portion of the 2027 coho stocking program is now impossible.

As a result, the outlook for the 2027 coho run is grim. This isn’t speculation; it’s documented in the 2026 ADF&G Statewide Stocking Plan. Without intervention, we are likely to see severely reduced coho returns in 2027 and potentially in every three-year cycle that follows.

Coho salmon are vital to our local economy, recreation, and cultural traditions. A sharp decline in their numbers will impact not just anglers, but also businesses and families that rely on these runs each year. The long-term effects could be felt throughout the region.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is currently accepting public comments on the Statewide Stocking Plan, and they review each submission carefully. The deadline for these comments is 11:59 p.m. on January 31. It is critical that as many people as possible make their concerns known before this date.

Comments do not need to be lengthy. Even a brief statement explaining how important the coho stocking program is to you or your community will have an impact. The volume of responses will help demonstrate the seriousness of this issue to decision-makers.

If we want to avoid ongoing declines in coho salmon and the negative effects that would follow, immediate action is required. I urge everyone who benefits from or values the coho run to submit a comment to ADF&G. This is a necessary step to help protect a resource that our community cannot afford to lose.

Send comments to: marley.loomis@alaska.gov