Section 5.33.366. Northern Southeast seine salmon fishery management plans.

	(a)  During July, the department may allow the operation of purse seines in District 12 north of Point Marsden to harvest pink salmon migrating northward in Chatham Strait only as follows:  
		(1) the department may open only those portions of the area in which a harvestable abundance of pink salmon is observed; open areas and times must consider conservation concerns for all species in the area;  
		(2) the department shall close the seine fishery in District 12 north of Point Marsden during July after 15,000 wild sockeye salmon are taken, as described in this paragraph; during the openings, the department will use aerial flyovers, on-the-ground sampling, interviews, and fish tickets to estimate the sockeye salmon harvest north of Point Marsden in District 12 and in the Amalga Harbor Special Harvest Area in District 11; hatchery-produced sockeye salmon will not count against the 15,000 sockeye salmon harvest limit; the wild sockeye salmon harvest that will count against the 15,000 sockeye salmon limit under this paragraph is as follows:  
			(A) all wild sockeye salmon harvested by seine vessels that the department identifies as fishing north of Point Marsden in District 12 during any July fishing period when other areas are open concurrently; and  
			(B) through the 2017 season, up to 2,000 wild sockeye salmon harvested in common property fisheries in the Amalga Harbor Special Harvest Area in District 11 when the entire common property harvest area is open.  
	(b)  Salmon may be taken during emergency order openings for chum salmon in Excursion Inlet only in waters of Section 14-C north of the latitude of the northern tip of the Porpoise Islands. The commissioner may open the area by emergency order only after consideration of concerns for chum and coho salmon conservation.  
	(c)  The department may allow the operation of purse seines in District 12 south of Point Marsden. Before opening fishing areas and times under this subsection, the department must consider conservation concerns for all salmon species in the area, and  
		(1) the portion of District 12 within two miles of the Admiralty Island shoreline south of the latitude of Point Hepburn at 57_ 56.21' N. lat. and north of the latitude of Fishery Point at 57_ 47.36' N. lat. may not open before July 17;   
		(2) the portion of District 12 within two miles of the Admiralty Island shoreline south of the latitude of Fishery Point at 57_ 47.36' N. lat. and north of the latitude of Parker Point at 57_ 36.73' N. lat. may not open before July 21.  

Authorities

16.05.060;16.05.251

Notes

Reference

5 AAC 33.310

Authority

AS 16.05.060 AS 16.05.251

History

Eff. 6/25/89, Register 110; am 7/26/2003, Register 167; am 5/26/2006, Register 178; am 5/9/2015, Register 214; am 7/1/2015, Register 214