5 AAC 09.331. Gillnet specifications and operations

(a) The size and operation of drift gillnets is as follows:

(1) the aggregate length of drift gillnets on a salmon fishing boat or in use by such boat shall be no more than 200 fathoms in length;

(2) the mesh size of a drift gillnet may not be less than five and one-quarter inches, except that there is no minimum mesh size

(A) in the Northern District and the Northwestern District;

(B) in the South Unimak and Shumagin Islands fisheries described in 5 AAC 09.365(b) and (c) when the commissioner opens fishing periods under 5 AAC 09.365(d) ;

(3) in the Northwestern, Unimak, and Southwestern Districts, no drift gillnet may exceed 90 meshes in depth;

(4) in the Northern District, a drift gillnet may not exceed 70 meshes in depth, except that in the Nelson Lagoon Section a drift gillnet may not exceed 29 meshes in depth before August 16 and 38 meshes in depth from August 16 through September 30; a drift gillnet may have only one leadline, which may not exceed 60 fathoms per 50 fathoms of corkline, and no portion of the leadline may exceed 1.5 pounds per fathom.

(b) The size and operation of set gillnets is as follows:

(1) a set gillnet may be no more than 100 fathoms in length; the aggregate length of set gillnets operated by a CFEC permit holder may be no more than 200 fathoms; no more than two gillnet sites may be operated by a CFEC permit holder except that in the

(A) Inner Port Heiden Section a set gillnet may be no more than 50 fathoms in length; the aggregate length of set gillnets operated by a CFEC permit holder may be no more than 100 fathoms; and no more than two gillnet sites may be operated by a CFEC permit holder;

(B) Ilnik Lagoon (portion of the Ilnik Section) a set gillnet may be no more than 50 fathoms in length; the aggregate length of set gillnets operated by a CFEC permit holder may be no more than 150 fathoms; and no more than three gillnet sites may be operated by a CFEC permit holder;

(C) in the Northwestern, Unimak, Southwestern, South Central, and Southeastern Districts, a set gillnet may not exceed 90 meshes in depth; and

(2) set gillnets shall be operated in substantially a straight line; no more than 30 fathoms of each set gillnet may be used as a single hook;

(3) the mesh size of a set gillnet may not be less than five and one-quarter inches, except that there is no minimum mesh size

(A) in the Northern District and the Northwestern District;

(B) in the South Unimak and Shumagin Islands fisheries described in 5 AAC 09.365(b) and (c) when the commissioner opens fishing periods under 5 AAC 09.365(e) ;

(4) in the Northern District, the maximum depth of a set gillnet may not exceed 70 meshes in depth; except that in the Nelson Lagoon Section, a set gillnet may not exceed 29 meshes in depth;

(5) in the Unimak, Southwestern, South Central, and Southeastern Districts, 10 fathoms of seine webbing may be used on the shoreward end of a set gillnet; the shoreward end of the seine webbing must be attached to the beach above low tide;

(6) during hours of darkness, each set gillnet must be marked with at least one red light on the seaward end of the net, and at least one red light on both ends of the net if that net is more than 300 feet from shore;

(7) in Swanson Lagoon, within the Swanson Lagoon Section of the Northwestern District, a person may not place a set gillnet in the water if that placement would result in more than 50 percent of the channel east of 163УИ 38.75' W. long. being blocked to the movement of boat traffic at any stage of the tide;

(8) in the Cinder River and Ilnik Sections of the Northern District, a person may not place the seaward end of a set gillnet further than one-half mile from the permanent vegetation line of the beach, except that in the Seal Islands a person may not place the seaward end of a set gillnet further than one-half mile from the mean high tide mark;

(9) in the Unimak District during the June fishery described in 5 AAC 09.365, a person may not place the shoreward end of a set gillnet further than one-half mile from the mean high tide mark.

History: In effect before 1985; am 5/11/85, Register 94; am 6/2/88, Register 106; am 6/9/90, Register 114; am 5/28/92, Register 122; am 5/17/95, Register 134; am 5/31/98, Register 146; am 6/22/2001, Register 158

Authority: AS 16.05.251

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