Title 5 . Fish and Game

Chapter 47 . Personal Use Fishery

Section 55. Southeast Alaska King Salmon Management Plan

5 AAC 47.055. Southeast Alaska King Salmon Management Plan

(a) The commissioner shall establish, by emergency order, the king salmon sport fish bag and possession limits and all other necessary management measures based on the preseason king salmon abundance index determined by the Chinook Technical Committee of the Pacific Salmon Commission. The bag and possession limits and other management measures established by the commissioner will remain in effect until December 31. For the following year, until that year's preseason abundance index becomes available, the bag and possession limits and other management measures will be based on the prior year's preseason abundance index. If the new preseason king salmon abundance index is not available by May 1, the bag and possession limits and other management measures for the remainder of the year will be based on the prior year's preseason abundance index, unless superseded by emergency order.

(b) The objectives of the management plan under this section are to

(1) manage the sport fishery to attain an average harvest of 20 percent of the annual harvest ceiling specified by the Pacific Salmon Commission, after the subtraction of the commercial net allocation specified in 5 AAC 29.060 from the harvest ceiling;

(2) allow uninterrupted sport fishing in salt waters for king salmon, while not exceeding the sport fishery harvest ceiling;

(3) minimize regulatory restrictions on resident anglers; and

(4) provide stability to the sport fishery by eliminating inseason regulatory changes, except those necessary for conservation purposes.

(c) When the king salmon abundance index is greater than 1.2, the commissioner shall, by emergency order, implement the following management measures:

(1) a resident bag limit of two king salmon;

(2) a nonresident bag limit of one king salmon; and

(3) a nonresident annual limit of three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length.

(d) When the king salmon abundance index is less than or equal to 1.2, the commissioner shall, by emergency order, implement the following management measures:

(1) a bag limit of one king salmon;

(2) from January 1 through June 30, a nonresident's harvest limit is three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;

(3) from July 1 through July 15, a nonresident's harvest limit is two king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length, and any king salmon 28 inches or greater in length harvested by the nonresident from January 1 through June 30 will apply toward the two fish harvest limit; and

(4) from July 16 through December 31, a nonresident's harvest limit is one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length, and any king salmon 28 inches or greater in length harvested by the nonresident from January 1 through July 15 will apply toward the one fish harvest limit.

(e) In addition to the provisions of (d) of this section, when the king salmon abundance index is less than or equal to 1.1, the commissioner may, by emergency order, implement the following management measures in the following order of priority:

(1) from May 1 through June 30, a restriction of the maximum number of lines that may be fished from a charter vessel to four lines;

(2) from August 1 through September 30, a prohibition on the possession or retention of king salmon less than 48 inches in length by a nonresident angler, except that from August 15 through August 25, a nonresident will be allowed a bag and possession limit of one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length, in the following areas:

(A) Lynn Canal north of a line from Point Couverden to Point Lizard Head to a line from Point Bridget to Point Whidby;

(B) Taku Inlet west of a line from Cooper Point to Greely Point; and

(C) Stephens Passage north of a line from Gwen Point to Point Styleman; and

(3) from August 1 through September 30, a prohibition on the possession or retention of king salmon less than 48 inches in length by resident and nonresident anglers, except that from August 15 through August 25, an angler will be allowed a bag and possession limit of one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length, in the following areas:

(A) Lynn Canal north of a line from Point Couverden to Point Lizard Head to a line from Point Bridget to Point Whidby;

(B) Taku Inlet west of a line from Cooper Point to Greely Point; and

(C) Stephens Passage north of a line from Gwen Point to Point Styleman.

(f) In addition to the provisions of (d) and (e) of this section, when the king salmon abundance index is less than 1.0, the commissioner may, by emergency order, specify fishing times during which the retention of king salmon less than 48 inches in length is prohibited by resident and nonresident anglers. Fishing times of non-retention under this subsection will be implemented independently for resident and nonresident anglers to obtain 20 percent of the harvest reduction from resident anglers and 80 percent from nonresident anglers. Fishing times of non-retention will be established on a regular basis between July 16 and July 31, as needed, and will be established on non-consecutive days when possible. If the entire period of July 16 through July 31 is established as a fishing time of non-retention and additional closures are necessary, additional fishing times of non-retention will be similarly established between July 1 and July 15.

(g) The commissioner may adopt regulations that establish reporting requirements necessary to obtain the information required to implement the management plan under this section.

(h) The commissioner may, by emergency order, establish that the nonresident harvest and annual limits for king salmon under this section do not apply in a hatchery terminal harvest area.

History: Eff. 4/15/94, Register 130; am 5/2/97, Register 142; am 5/25/2000, Register 154; am 6/1/2003, Register 166; em am 4/13/2005 - 8/10/2005, Register 174; em am 5/3/2005 - 8/30/2005, Register 174

Authority: AS 16.05.060

AS 16.05.251

AS 16.05.270