5 AAC 32.030. Inspection requirements

(a) Except as provided in (b) and (c) of this section and unless otherwise specified in this chapter, a person may not fish for Dungeness crab using a vessel that is registered to fish in a Dungeness crab registration area unless that vessel has been inspected by a local representative of the department. The local representative shall make the inspection within 24 hours before a season opening or during the season. The inspection must occur at an inspection point specified in this chapter. Dungeness crab may not be on board the vessel at the time of the inspection. Successful completion of the inspection validates the registration for the registration area or district. If an inspection is not required, completion of the registration form and submission of the completed form to the department by the vessel owner or the owner's agent validates the registration.

(b) By public announcement, the commissioner may require that vessels fishing for Dungeness crab be inspected before the vessels may fish in areas that are exempt from the vessel inspection requirements of this chapter.

(c) From 24 hours before a season opens in a registration area until the season closure in the registration area, the inspection requirements of this section do not apply to a vessel that is registered to fish for Dungeness crab if the vessel does not have a saltwater circulation system in its fish holds or crab tanks.

(d) The local representative of the department may not begin an inspection of a vessel in a registration area earlier than 24 hours before a Dungeness crab fishing season opens in that registration area.

(e) The commissioner may designate additional inspection points if the commissioner finds that

(1) the existing inspection points impose an unforeseen and significant hardship that persons fishing for Dungeness crab cannot mitigate;

(2) the department does not have a practical way to change existing inspection points to alleviate the hardship; and

(3) designating additional inspection points would not cause a significant likelihood that unauthorized fishing or other management or enforcement problems will occur.

(f) The department shall issue an inspection certificate to the vessel owner or the owner's agent upon successful completion of an inspection required by this chapter. Before the department may issue the certificate, the vessel owner or the owner's agent shall show to the local representative of the department who is making the inspection a current registration certificate for the Dungeness crab registration area. The vessel owner, or the owner's agent, shall sign the inspection certificate when received, shall keep it on the vessel and available at all times during fishing operations, and shall, upon request, show it to a peace officer of the state.

History: In effect before 1984; am 6/30/84, Register 90; am 12/14/86, Register 100; am 5/8/98, Register 146

Authority: AS 16.05.251

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