Title 5 . Fish and Game

Chapter 32 . Transportation, Possession and Release of Live Fish; Aquatic Farming

Section 31. Landing requirements

5 AAC 32.031. Landing requirements

(a) Except as provided in (b) of this section, a Dungeness crab vessel may not land Dungeness crab at a location that is not within a registration area for which it is then validly registered.

(b) The owner, or the owner's agent, of a vessel validly registered to fish for Dungeness crab in a registration area or district leaving that area or district with the intention of landing Dungeness crab in another registration area shall contact by radio or telephone a local representative of the department. The contact must be made to the local representative of the department located in the registration area from which the vessel will move. Unless the local representative of the department does not require an inspection of the vessel, the owner or agent shall submit to a vessel inspection at a location specified by the representative. When the vessel lands Dungeness crab in the new area or district, the vessel may not have more Dungeness crab on board than when the vessel was inspected. When the vessel owner or the owner's agent contacts the local representative of the department, if the local representative of the department does not require an inspection under this subsection, the vessel owner, or the owner's agent, making radio or telephone contact shall state to the representative the amount by weight or number of Dungeness crab then on board. Thereafter, the vessel may not land in the new area an amount of Dungeness crab that, by weight or number, exceeds by 10 percent, whether more or less, the amount stated at the time of the contact with the department's local representative.

(c) When, under (b) of this section, a vessel lands Dungeness crab in another registration area or district, the vessel's former registration expires. To become validly registered to fish for Dungeness crab in an area, the owner of the vessel or the owner's agent shall comply with 5 AAC 32.030 or with the inspection requirements for a specific registration area or district otherwise specified in this chapter.

(d) Unless otherwise specified in this chapter, after 24 hours following the closure of Dungeness crab fishing in a registration area, portion of a registration area, district, subdistrict, or section, a vessel registered to fish for Dungeness crab in the area may not have Dungeness crab on board unless

(1) the vessel is validly registered for another registration area and the Dungeness crab fishing season is open in that area;

(2) the vessel complies with 5 AAC 32.020 and 5 AAC 32.030; and

(3) within 24 hours after the closure of the area, the vessel operator contacts in person or by radio a local representative of the department who is located at a landing port or at an inspection point that is specified in this chapter or by the department, and the representative has authorized the vessel operator to possess the Dungeness crab for a longer period of time.

(e) The vessel owner, or owner's agent, of a vessel that fishes for Dungeness crab and that has sunk may apply to the commissioner for a permit to sell male Dungeness crab of legal size removed by the owner, or the owner's agent, from pots that were set from the sunken vessel. The commissioner may issue the permit even though the Dungeness crab season is closed in the registration area where the pots were set. The owner, or owner's agent, shall apply to the commissioner for the permit no more than 14 days after the sinking of the vessel. The fish ticket for the sale of the Dungeness crab recovered under the permit must show that the delivery was made by the sunken vessel.

History: Eff. 5/8/98, Register 146

Authority: AS 16.05.251