State waters close May 1 regardless of how much quota is caught, and then re-open Sept. 1. The Sept. 1 opening is basically a free-for-all, allowing both gear types and any vessel size to harvest the remaining quota. It also removes the 60-pot limit. After Oct. 30 the exclusive area registration restriction is also eliminated.

ADF&G Cook Inlet Area Management Biologist Charlie Trowbridge said increased effort last fall may or may not translate into more boats in the 2009 fishery.

"I'm taking a real wait-and-see approach," he said, citing price as a factor that may limit effort. "(Prices) kind of held up here when Kodiak first fell, but they're definitely here now."

The season began with prices in the 60-64 cents per pound range, but dropped to 37 cents per pound in Homer for pot boats. Reports from Kodiak indicate that prices paid to trawl boats reached a low of 26 cents per pound.

Trowbridge is hopeful that the entire quota is caught this year, something that has yet to happen. The pot quota is generally filled some time in April, but the jig quota has never been filled, even when it is made available to pot boats in the fall.

"I would really like to see this fishery achieve its GHL this year while it's down to 2.6 (million pounds)," Trowbridge said. "It would be a feather in our cap with the Board (of Fisheries)."

While it's not likely to gain much traction in Alaska, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have recently launched a campaign to rename fish "Sea Kittens," trying to convince people they are "too cute to eat."

Aimed mostly at children, the campaign features a Web site loaded with cartoon images, "sea kitten" bedtime stories, anti-fishing merchandise and information, free goodies, vegetarian starter kits, and even allows children to create, name and dress their own "sea kitten," and e-mail it to a friend.

With 2 million members and a $30 million budget, PETA has the clout to spread their message to impressionable children everywhere. Their Web site includes statements such as, "Many people have never stopped to think about it, but sea kittens are smart, interesting animals with their own unique personalities just like dogs and cats."

What the PETA site does not include is the health benefits of eating fish, especially for children.

Find the Sea Kitten campaign at www.peta.org.

Cristy Fry has commercial fished in Homer since 1978. She also designs and builds gear for the industry. She currently longlines for halibut and gillnets salmon in upper Cook Inlet aboard the F/V Realist. She can be reached at cristy-fry@excite.com.