Cook Inlet Exclusive Economic Zone Salmon Applications and Forms

NMFS implemented Federal fishery management for all salmon fishing that occurs in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area. NMFS adopted amendment 16 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Salmon Fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Off Alaska and published regulations for fishery participants on April 30, 2024. The Cook Inlet EEZ Area is an area of Federal waters located in the Cook Inlet north of a line at 59°46.15′ N (Cook Inlet EEZ Area Maps). Drift gillnet and recreational salmon fishing are permitted within the Cook Inlet EEZ Area, and have historically been managed by the State of Alaska. To comply with rulings from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, starting in June 2024, NMFS will manage all fishing (commercial and recreational) for sockeye, coho, Chinook, chum, and pink salmon in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area. To learn more about the history of this action, please see the preamble of the final rule.