Title 5 . Fish and Game

Chapter 9 . Transportation, Possession and Release of Live Fish; Aquatic Farming

Section 366. Post-June Salmon Management Plan for the South Alaska Peninsula

5 AAC 09.366. Post-June Salmon Management Plan for the South Alaska Peninsula

(a) The purpose of this management plan is to provide management guidelines to the department for the management of the post-June salmon fisheries along the South Alaska Peninsula, to provide for the harvest of local stocks in terminal harvest areas, and to establish fishing periods for the South Alaska Peninsula salmon fisheries outside of terminal harvest areas.

(b) The commissioner shall establish, to the extent practicable, concurrent fishing periods in the Southeastern, South Central, Southwestern, and Unimak Districts.

(c) Fishing periods may be established under this section only as follows:

(1) except as specified in (d), for July, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.;

(2) for August, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.;

(3) for September, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; and

(4) repealed 1/15/2003.

(d) Notwithstanding (c)(1) of this section, the commissioner may establish, by emergency order, six 24-hour fishing periods interspersed by 48 hour closures from July 6 through July 21, and three 36-hour fishing periods interspersed by 48 hour closures from July 22 through July 31. The first commercial fishing period of the July 22 through July 31 period may not start before 12:00 noon on July 23.

(e) Repealed 6/4/2004.

(f) The commissioner may open, by emergency order, the following terminal harvest areas to salmon fishing from July 6 through July 21:

(1) the Shumagin Islands Section of the Southeastern District, waters of Zachary Bay south of the latitude of 55ΓΈ 22.60' N. lat.; fishing periods shall be established based on the abundance of pink and chum salmon stocks;

(2) the East and West Pavlof Bay Sections of the South Central District, waters north of the latitude of Black Point (55ΓΈ 24.48' N. lat.); fishing periods shall be established based on the abundance of pink and chum salmon stocks;

(3) the Canoe Bay Section of the South Central District; fishing periods shall be established based on the abundance of pink and chum salmon stocks;

(4) in the Cold Bay, Thin Point, and Morzhovoi Bay Sections of the Southwestern District as follows:

(A) fishing periods in the Cold Bay Section shall be established based on the abundance of sockeye and chum salmon stocks;

(B) fishing periods in Thin Point Cove and Morzhovoi Bay Sections shall be established based on the abundance of sockeye salmon stocks.

(g) In addition to the terminal harvest areas specified in (f) of this section, the commissioner may open, by emergency order, the following terminal harvest areas to salmon fishing from July 22 through July 31:

(1) the Northwest Stepovak Section of the Southeastern District Mainland (near Suzy Creek), after July 25, the waters east of 160ΓΈ 19.00' W. long. (in Dorenoi Bay), west of the cape separating Chichagof Bay and West Cove (160ΓΈ 14.57' W. long.) and north of 55ΓΈ 37.33' N. lat.; fishing periods shall be established based on the abundance of local pink salmon stocks;

(2) the Stepovak Flats Section of the Southeastern District Mainland, from July 26 through July 28; fishing periods shall be established based on the abundance of local chum salmon stocks;

(3) the Mino Creek-Little Coal Bay and East Pavlof Bay Sections of the South Central District; fishing periods shall be established based on the abundance of local pink and chum salmon stocks;

(4) the Belkofski Bay Section of the Southwestern District; fishing periods shall be established based on the abundance of local pink and chum salmon stocks;

(5) the Deer Island Section of the Southwestern District; fishing periods shall be established based on the abundance of local pink salmon stocks.

(h) The commissioner may open, by emergency order, the commercial salmon fishery in the South Alaska Peninsula as follows:

(1) from August 1 through August 31, fishing periods shall be based on the abundance of local sockeye, coho, pink, and chum salmon stocks;

(2) from September 1 through September 30, fishing periods shall be based on abundance of coho salmon stocks, although the department may consider the abundance of late pink and chum salmon stocks.

(i) The department shall conduct a seine test fishery in the Shumagin Islands Section to assess the presence of immature salmon. If 100 or more immature salmon, per set, are present, the commissioner shall close, by emergency order, the seine fishery in an area to be determined by the department. If the seine fishery is closed in an area under this subsection, the set gillnet fishery shall remain open in that area. For the purposes of this subsection, "immature salmon, per set, are present" means the number of immature king, sockeye, coho, and chum salmon observed to be gilled in the seine web.

History: Eff. 5/28/92, Register 122; am 4/18/96, Register 138; am 5/31/98, Register 146; am 6/22/2001, Register 158; am 1/15/2003, Register 165; am 6/4/2004, Register 170; am 2/16/2006, Register 177

Authority: AS 16.05.060

AS 16.05.251