Title 5 . Fish and Game

Chapter 24 . Transportation, Possession and Release of Live Fish; Aquatic Farming

Section 331. Gillnet specifications and operations

5 AAC 24.331. Gillnet specifications and operations

(a) Copper River and Bering River Districts

(1) each drift gillnet vessel may operate not more than one gillnet; no drift gillnet may exceed 150 fathoms in length, hung measure; no more than two vessels may operate together, and while operating together may not have on board each vessel gillnets of more than 150 fathoms in length, hung measure;

(2) a gillnet fished by a valid interim-use or entry permit holder may not be fastened in any manner to a gillnet fished by another interim-use or entry permit holder;

(3) gillnets with mesh size less than eight inches may not be more than 60 meshes in depth; gillnets with mesh size eight inches or larger may not be more than 40 meshes in depth;

(4) drift gillnet specifications for the Copper River District may be modified in accordance with 5 AAC 24.360;

(5) repealed 4/2/88;

(6) repealed 4/30/91;

(7) gillnets with mesh size greater than six inches will not be allowed in the Copper River District before July 15 unless specified by emergency order in accordance with 5 AAC 24.360.

(b) Eshamy, Coghill, and Unakwik Districts:

(1) in the Eshamy District

(A) no person may operate, or have on board a vessel, more than 150 fathoms of set gillnet in the aggregate;

(B) no single set gillnet may exceed 100 fathoms in length;

(C) set gillnets must be operated in substantially a straight line, except

(i) in the Crafton Island Subdistrict, no more than 10 fathoms of a single gillnet may be used as a single hook; and

(ii) in the Main Bay Subdistrict, as provided in 5 AAC 24.367(b) (3);

(D) no person may operate more than three set gillnets;

(E) repealed 4/9/89;

(F) a set gillnet buoy may not be more than 20 feet from the seaward end of the set gillnet to which it is attached;

(G) in the Crafton Island Subdistrict, the shoreward end of a set gillnet or set gillnet lead may not be operated in water deeper than four fathoms at low tide;

(2) repealed 5/11/85;

(3) the operation of each gillnet shall be performed or assisted by the fisherman who holds the valid interim-use or entry permit card for that gear;

(4) drift gillnets may not be longer than 150 fathoms;

(5) in the Eshamy District, set gillnets may be attached to seine webbing on the inshore end not to exceed 10 fathoms in length; the seine webbing may remain set during the open fishing season;

(6) before the first Monday in July, unless modified by emergency order, in the Coghill, Unakwik, and Eshamy Districts gillnets with a mesh size of less than eight inches may not be more than 60 meshes in depth and gillnets with a mesh size of eight inches or greater may not be more than 40 meshes in depth;

(7) repealed 4/2/88;

(8) during periods established by emergency order for the protection of pink salmon, gillnet mesh size may be restricted to a minimum of five and three-eighths inches.

(c) For the purpose of this regulation, a gillnet shall be considered to be a drift gillnet unless it has been intentionally set, staked, anchored or otherwise fixed.

(d) Vessels that are in transit from one fishing district to another fishing district may be towed and each vessel may carry its own legal limit of fishing gear in the aggregate.

(e) The weight of leadline used on a drift gillnet may not be more than two and one-quarter pounds per fathom of gillnet.

History: In effect before 1985; am 5/11/85, Register 94; am 4/16/86, Register 98; am 3/29/87, Register 101; am 4/2/88, Register 105; am 4/9/89, Register 110; am 4/30/91, Register 118; am 5/22/94, Register 130; am 3/30/2000, Register 153; am 5/11/2003, Register 166

Authority: AS 16.05.060

AS 16.05.251