Section 5.21.354. Cook Inlet Pink Salmon Management Plan.

	(a)  The purpose of this management plan is to allow for the harvest of surplus pink salmon in the Upper Subdistrict for set gillnet and drift gillnet gear. Notwithstanding 5 AAC 21.310(b)(2)(C)(iii), from August 11 through August 15, the commissioner may, by emergency order, open a commercial pink salmon fishery in an even-numbered year for up to two regular 12-hour fishing periods if the commissioner determines that the sockeye salmon escapement goals in the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers are being achieved and coho salmon run strength is sufficient to withstand additional harvest.   
	(b)  The first pink salmon commercial fishing period will occur only if, during the regular fishing periods from August 6 through August 10, the daily harvest of pink salmon in the Upper Subdistrict set gillnet fishery exceeds 50,000 fish or the cumulative harvest is 100,000 or more pink salmon. The second pink salmon commercial fishing period will occur only if 50,000 or more pink salmon and no more than 2,500 coho salmon are harvested in the Upper Subdistrict set gillnet fishery during the first pink salmon commercial fishing period.  
	(c)  During a pink salmon commercial fishing period opened under this section, a  
		(1) set gillnet may not have a mesh size greater than four and three-quarters inches; and  
		(2) drift gillnet may not have a mesh size greater than four and three-quarters inches, and fishing with drift gillnet gear will only be opened in the areas defined in 5 AAC 21.200(b)(2)(B).  

Authorities

16.05.060;16.05.251

Notes

Authority

AS 16.05.060 AS 16.05.251

History

Eff. 5/21/2011, Register 198; am 5/18/2014, Register 210