Section 5.30.365. Situk-Ahrnklin Inlet and Lost River King Salmon Fisheries Management Plan.

	(a)  The purpose of the management plan in this section is to provide for the biological escapement goal requirements of spawning king salmon to the Situk-Ahrnklin River systems. This management plan provides guidelines to the department in an effort to preclude allocation conflicts between the various user groups of the king salmon resource. Action points and associated ranges within the plan are intended to be based on the current king salmon escapement goal ranges for the Situk River system.  
	(b)  The biological escapement goal for the Situk River king salmon is 730 three ocean age and older fish, with a range of 450 - 1,050 fish.  
	(c)  The department shall manage the commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries as follows:  
		(1) if the projected escapement is less than 350 three ocean age and older fish, the commissioner shall close, by emergency order, the king salmon  
			(A) sport fishery in the Situk River;  
			(B) subsistence, personal use, and commercial set gillnet fisheries in the Situk-Ahrnklin Inlet and Lost River; and  
			(C) commercial troll fishery in the waters of Alaska bounded on the west by the seaward limit of the three-nautical-mile territorial sea and on the north by a line extending seaward from 59_ 30.49' N. lat., 139_ 46.58' W. long. (Ocean Cape) and intersecting the three-nautical-mile limit at 59_ 28.65' N. lat., 139_ 51.17' W. long. and on the south by a line extending seaward from 59_ 20.30' N. lat., 139_ 16.50' W. long. and intersecting the three-nautical-mile limit at 59_ 18.25' N. lat., 139_ 21.94' W. long.;  
		(2) if the projected escapement is 350 - 450 three ocean age or older fish the commissioner  
			(A) shall, by emergency order, close the sport fishery for king salmon in the Situk River; and  
			(B) may, by emergency order, implement one or more of the following management measures for conservation purposes:  
				(i) establish a nonretention king salmon season in the Situk-Ahrnklin Inlet and Lost River set gillnet fisheries;  
				(ii) close the commercial salmon troll fishery in the waters of Alaska bounded on the west by the seaward limit of the three-nautical-mile territorial sea and on the north by a line extending seaward from 59_ 30.49' N. lat., 139_ 46.58' W. long. (Ocean Cape) and intersecting the three-nautical-mile limit at 59_ 28.65' N. lat., 139_ 51.17' W. long. and on the south by a line extending seaward from 59_ 20.30' N. lat., 139_ 16.50' W. long. and intersecting the three-nautical-mile limit at 59_ 18.25' N. lat., 139_ 21.94' W. long.;  
				(iii) restrict the weekly fishing periods in the Situk-Ahrnklin Inlet and Lost River set gillnet fisheries;  
		(3) if the projected escapement is 451 - 730 three ocean age or older fish, the commissioner shall, by emergency order, implement one or more of the following management measures for conservation purposes:  
			(A) establish a nonretention king salmon season in the Situk-Ahrnklin Inlet and Lost River set gillnet fisheries;  
			(B) close the commercial salmon troll fishery in the waters of Alaska bounded on the west by the seaward limit of the three-nautical-mile territorial sea and on the north by a line extending seaward from 59_ 30.49' N. lat., 139_ 46.58' W. long. (Ocean Cape) and intersecting the three-nautical-mile limit at 59_ 28.65' N. lat., 139_ 51.17' W. long. and on the south by a line extending seaward from 59_ 20.30' N. lat., 139_ 16.50' W. long. and intersecting the three-nautical-mile limit at 59_ 18.25' N. lat., 139_ 21.94' W. long.;  
			(C) restrict the weekly fishing periods in the Situk-Ahrnklin Inlet and Lost River set gillnet fisheries; and  
			(D) restrict the sport harvest of king salmon in the Situk River by implementing one or more of the following management measures:  
				(i) close portions of the Situk River to sport fishing for king salmon;  
				(ii) establish a catch and release sport fishery only for king salmon 28 inches or greater in length;  
		(4) if the projected escapement is greater than 730 three ocean age and older fish but less than 1,050 fish, the department shall,  
			(A) manage the commercial set gillnet fisheries in the Situk-Ahrnklin Inlet and Lost River based on the sockeye salmon run strength;  
			(B) manage the commercial salmon troll fishery as specified in 5 AAC 29.100 in the waters of Alaska bounded on the west by the seaward limit of the three-nautical-mile territorial sea and on the north by a line extending seaward from 59_ 30.49' N. lat., 139_ 46.58' W. long. (Ocean Cape) and intersecting the three-nautical-mile limit at 59_ 28.65' N. lat., 139_ 51.17' W. long. and on the south by a line extending seaward from 59_ 20.30' N. lat., 139_ 16.50' W. long. and intersecting the three-nautical-mile limit at 59_ 18.25' N. lat., 139_ 21.94' W. long.;  
		(5) if the projected escapement is greater than 1,050 three ocean age and older fish, the department shall manage the commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries as necessary to harvest large king salmon in excess of the biological escapement goal range; to achieve this goal the commissioner may, by emergency order, implement one or more of the following management measures:  
			(A) liberalize seasons, areas, and method and means in the Situk River under 5 AAC 75.003(2)(A);  
			(B) increase the bag and possession limits for king salmon 28 inches or greater in length, to three fish per day and six in possession, with no annual limit;  
			(C) repealed 7/13/2012;  
			(D) manage the commercial set gillnet fisheries in the Situk-Ahrnklin Inlet and Lost River based on the sockeye salmon run strength;  
			(E) in the Situk-Ahrnklin Inlet and Lost River set gillnet fisheries, allow the use of one additional gillnet that is no more than 20 fathoms in length and no more than 45 meshes in depth, with a mesh size of no less than seven and one-half inches, for the directed taking of king salmon during periods when sockeye salmon may or may not be retained.   

Authorities

16.05.060;16.05.251

Notes

Reference

5 AAC 01.660

Authority

AS 16.05.060 AS 16.05.251

History

Eff. 4/30/91, Register 118; am 4/23/94, Register 130; am 6/14/2000, Register 154; am 7/26/2003, Register 167; am 5/26/2006, Register 178; am 7/13/2012, Register 203; am 9/7/2012, Register 203