5 AAC 35.525. Lawful gear for Registration Area J

(a) Tanner crab may be taken only with Tanner crab pots. Tanner crab taken by other means must be returned to the water without further harm.

(b) The following Tanner crab pot requirements are in effect in Registration Area J:

(1) pots used to take Chionoecetes bairdi Tanner crab must have at least one-third of one vertical surface of the pot composed of not less than 71/4 inch stretched mesh webbing or have no less than four circular escape rings of no less than five inches inside diameter installed on the vertical plane to permit escapement of undersize C. bairdi Tanner crab; and

(2) pots used to take Chionoecetes opilio Tanner crab must have at least eight escape rings with an inside diameter measure of no less than four inches placed within one mesh measurement from the bottom of the pot, with four escape rings on each of two sides of a four-sided pot, or if the pot has no escape rings as specified in this paragraph, one-half of one side of a four-sided pot must have a side panel composed of not less than five and one-quarter inch stretched mesh webbing to permit escapement of undersize C. opilio Tanner crab.

(1) in the Kodiak District, when the guideline harvest level for C. bairdi Tanner crab is

(A) less than 2,000,000 pounds, an aggregate of no more than 20 pots may be operated from a validly registered Tanner crab vessel;

(B) at least 2,000,000 pounds but less than 4,000,000 pounds, an aggregate of no more than 30 pots may be operated from a validly registered Tanner crab vessel;

(C) at least 4,000,000 pounds but less than 5,000,000 pounds, an aggregate of no more than 40 pots may be operated from a validly registered Tanner crab vessel;

(D) at least 5,000,000 pounds, an aggregate of no more than 60 pots may be operated from a validly registered Tanner crab vessel;

(2) in the Chignik District, if the guideline harvest level exceeds 600,000 pounds, the total number of pots allowed in the fishery is 1,000; the department will establish the individual vessel pot limit by dividing the 1,000 total pot limit by the number of vessels that register by the registration deadline specified in 5 AAC 35.506(e) (6); no more than 75 pots per vessel may be operated from a validly registered vessel;

(3) in the South Peninsula District, an aggregate of no more than 30 pots may be operated from a vessel except, that when the guideline harvest level is

(A) at least 600,000 pounds and not more than 1,000,000 pounds, an aggregate of no more than 40 pots may be operated from a validly registered Tanner crab vessel;

(B) more than 1,000,000 pounds, an aggregate of no more than 75 pots may be operated from a validly registered Tanner crab vessel;

(4) in the Bering Sea District,

(A) in the C. bairdi Tanner crab fishery, no more than 450 pots may be operated from a validly registered vessel;

(B) in the C. opilio Tanner crab fishery, no more than 450 pots may be operated from a validly registered vessel;

(5) in the Eastern Aleutian District, the total number of pots allowed in the fishery is 300; the department will establish the individual vessel pot limit by dividing the 300 total pot limit by the number of vessels that register before the season opens; no more than 50 pots per vessel is allowed.

(d) In the Bering Sea District, the tunnel eye openings on the vertical side of a Tanner crab pot may be no more than three inches high, except that up to 20 groundfish pots, as defined in 5 AAC 28.050(e) , may be used as part of the legal limit of Tanner crab pots. Tanner crab taken from these groundfish pots may be retained.

(e) In Registration Area J, a validly registered Tanner crab vessel may not have at any time in the aggregate, more than the legal limit of gear on board the vessel, in the water in fishing condition, and in the water in non-fishing condition. At the time of the tank inspection required under 5 AAC 35.555, the gear must meet all specifications required by this chapter and 5 AAC 39, including identification, escape mechanisms, and mesh size requirements.

(f) For the purposes of this section, "overall length" means the horizontal distance, rounded to the nearest foot, between the foremost part of the stem and the aftermost part of the stern, excluding bowspirits, rudders, outboard motor brackets, and similar fittings or attachments.

History: In effect before 1981; am 6/28/81, Register 78; am 7/25/82, Register 83; am 6/30/83, Register 86; am 12/29/84, Register 92; am 7/14/85, Register 95; am 4/18/86, Register 98; am 7/12/86, Register 99; em am 3/16/88 - 7/13/88, Register 106; em am 6/23/88 - 10/20/88, Register 107; am 7/23/88, Register 107; am 9/19/90, Register 115; am 6/19/92, Register 122; em am 11/13/92 - 3/12/93, Register 124; em am 12/17/92 - 4/16/93, Register 125; em am 3/26/93 - 7/23/93, Register 126; am 6/24/93, Register 126; am 9/29/96, Register 139; am 8/8/99, Register 151; am 8/31/2000, Register 155; am 9/30/2000, Register 155; am 8/24/2002, Register 163; am 8/14/2005, Register 175

Authority: AS 16.05.251

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