The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) has shut down commercial salmon fishing in the Egegik district of Alaska's Bristol Bay due to "numerous reports of illegal fishing activity in closed waters."  

The shutdown, announced in an ADFG emergency order, began a week ago, at 5 p.m. last Thursday (July 25), for harvesters using drift gillnet gear. The use of set gillnet gear was prohibited after 9 a.m. on Sunday (July 28). 

"We were receiving daily phone calls between Fish and Game and wildlife troopers, you know, multiple boats upwards of 50 at times fishing outside of the district," Aaron Tiernan, an ADFG biologist, reportedly told the Alaska radio station KDLG.

During the peak of the season, extra Alaska Wildlife Troopers flood Bristol Bay from around the state, but as fishing winds down, they start leaving to patrol other areas, he said.

"More and more reports come in. Because there's less enforcement going on overall, and we need to try to protect stocks that are going north and south or even into Egegik."

He added: "Efforts that have been made in the past have not changed activities. So I felt like it was time to try something new."