Section 5.21.310. Fishing seasons.

	(a)  If an opening date specified in this section for a fishing season in any district, subdistrict, or section falls on a date during a closed weekly fishing period under 5 AAC 21.320, the fishing season will open the first day of the next open weekly period.  
	(b)  Salmon may be taken only as follows:  
		(1) Northern District: from June 25 until closed by emergency order;  
		(2) Central District, for set gillnet:  
			(A) Western Subdistrict: from June 16 until closed by emergency order;  
			(B) Kalgin Island, Kustatan, and Chinitna Bay Subdistricts: from June 25 until closed by emergency order;  
			(C) Upper Subdistrict:  
				(i) Kasilof Section: from June 25 through August 15, unless closed earlier by emergency order under (iii) of this subparagraph; however if the department estimates that 50,000 sockeye salmon are in the Kasilof River before June 25, but on or after June 20, the commissioner may immediately, by emergency order, open the fishery; from August 11 through August 15, the fishery is open for regular periods only;  
				(ii) Kenai and East Forelands Sections: from July 8 through August 15, unless closed earlier by emergency order under (iii) of this subparagraph; from August 11 through August 15, the fishery is open for regular periods only;  
				(iii) Kenai, Kasilof, and East Forelands Sections: in the combined Kenai and East Forelands Sections, and separately in the Kasilof Section, the season will close August 15, unless closed earlier by emergency order after July 31, if the department determines that less than one percent of the season's total sockeye harvest has been taken per fishing period for two consecutive fishing periods in the combined Kenai and East Forelands Sections, or separately in the Kasilof Section; from August 11 through August 15, the fishery is open for regular fishing periods only; for purposes of this sub-subparagraph, "fishing period" means a time period open to commercial fishing as measured by a 24-hour calendar day from 12:01 a.m. until 11:59 p.m.;  
		(3) Central District, for drift gillnet: from the third Monday in June or June 19 whichever is later, until closed by emergency order, except that fishing with drift gillnets may not occur within  
			(A) two miles of the mean high tide mark on the eastern side of the Upper Subdistrict until those locations have been opened for fishing with set gillnets;  
			(B) one and one-half miles of the mean high tide mark of the Kenai Peninsula shoreline in  
				(i) that area of the Kenai and Kasilof Sections of the Upper Subdistrict south of the Kenai River, if fishing with set gillnets in that area is closed;   
				(ii) the Anchor Point Section, if fishing with drift gillnets is open in the Anchor Point Section under 5 AAC 21.353;  
			(C) one mile of the mean high tide mark of the Kenai Peninsula shoreline in that area of the Kenai and East Forelands Sections of the Upper Subdistrict north of the Kenai River, if fishing with set gillnets in that area is closed;  
		(4) Southern District:  
			(A) seine gear season: opened and closed by emergency order;  
			(B) set gillnet season: opened by emergency order, on or after June 1, and closed September 30;  
		(5) Kamishak Bay District: from June 1 until closed by emergency order;  
		(6) Outer District: open and closed by emergency order;  
		(7) Eastern District: open and closed by emergency order.  

Authorities

16.05.060;16.05.251

Notes

Reference

5 AAC 21.353
5 AAC 21.354
5 AAC 21.365

Authority

AS 16.05.060 AS 16.05.251

History

In effect before 1983; am 6/30/83, Register 86; am 6/30/84, Register 90; am 5/11/85, Register 94; am 6/10/89, Register 110; am 7/21/91, Register 119; am 4/7/93, Register 126; am 6/7/95, Register 135; am 5/31/96, Register 138; am 5/14/97, Register 142; am 5/18/2000, Register 154; am 6/30/2002, Register 162; am 8/8/2003, Register 167; am 2/13/2005, Register 173; am 6/11/2005, Register 174; am 6/4/2008, Register 186; am 5/21/2011, Register 198; am 6/12/2011, Register 198; am 5/18/2014, Register 210