Section 5.33.381. District 6: Wrangell Narrows-Blind Slough Terminal Harvest Area Salmon Management Plan.

	(a)  This management plan distributes the harvest of Crystal Lake Hatchery king and coho salmon returns to the terminal waters of Wrangell Narrows in Section 6-A south of 56_ 46' N. lat. and north and east of the northern tip of Woewodski Island at 56_ 36' N. lat., 132_ 59' W. long. and the fresh waters of Blind Slough upstream of a line between Blind Point and Anchor Point, among fisheries while protecting hatchery broodstock.  
	(b)  The harvest of Crystal Lake Hatchery king salmon in the terminal harvest area will be distributed between the sport and commercial fisheries as follows when the projected adult return of king salmon to the terminal harvest is  
		(1) below 1,000 fish, sport and commercial salmon fisheries in the terminal harvest area will be closed from June 1 through July 31;  
		(2) at least 1,000, but less than 2,000 fish, the commissioner shall open, by emergency order, the season for the terminal waters of Wrangell Narrows to sport fishing for king salmon, with a daily bag and possession limit of two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length and two king salmon less than 28 inches in length, from June 1 through July 31 during which time the terminal harvest area commercial salmon fishery in Wrangell Narrows and the sport fishery in Blind Slough will be closed;  
		(3) at least 2,000, but less than 4,000 fish, the commissioner shall open, by emergency order, the season for the terminal harvest area to sport fishing for king salmon, with a daily bag and possession limit of two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length and two king salmon less than 28 inches in length, from June 1 through July 31 during which time the commercial salmon fishery in the terminal waters of Wrangell Narrows will be closed;  
		(4) more than 4,000 fish, the commissioner shall open, by emergency order, the season for the terminal waters of Wrangell Narrows and Blind Slough to sport fishing for king salmon during which time a daily bag and possession limit may be more than two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length and more than two king salmon less than 28 inches in length from June 1 through July 31 during which time the commercial fishery in the terminal waters of Wrangell Narrows will be opened to harvest 50 percent of the projected return over 4,000 fish.  
	(c)  The commissioner shall open and close, by emergency order, fishing seasons and periods to manage the return of coho salmon to  
		(1) assure adequate returns of hatchery broodstock;  
		(2) provide the sport fishery priority over the commercial harvest; although the sport fishery has historically taken only 20 percent of the returning harvest, it may exceed 20 percent over time;  
		(3) provide the personal use fishery priority over the commercial harvest; although the personal use fishery has historically taken only five percent of the returning harvest, it may exceed five percent over time; in the waters described in (a) of this section that are open to personal use coho salmon fishing under a personal use salmon fishing permit issued under 5 AAC 77.682, the possession and annual limit is 25 coho salmon;  
		(4) provide fishing periods for coho salmon to allow a commercial harvest of up to 75 percent of the returning coho salmon based on the department's determination that such harvest is consistent with the priority of satisfying the sport and personal use fisheries' demand.  
	(d)  Due to harvest objectives in the terminal harvest area, the waters of Frederick Sound east of a line from Boulder Point to Point Highland are closed to commercial salmon fishing from April 16 through May 31, except that if there is an allowable catch for Stikine River king salmon, the commissioner may open fishing periods in the waters of Frederick Sound east of a line from Beacon Point to Wood Point as specified in 5 AAC 33.368.   

Authorities

16.05.060;16.05.251

Notes

Authority

AS 16.05.060 AS 16.05.251

History

Eff. 6/28/97, Register 142; am 7/26/2003, Register 167; em am 4/13/2005 - 8/10/2005, Register 174; am 5/26/2006, Register 178; am 5/31/2009, Register 190; am 6/5/2016, Register 218