Section 5.34.917. Saint Matthew Island Section blue king crab harvest strategy.

	(a)  In the Saint Matthew Island Section, the commissioner may, by emergency order, open the blue king crab fishery only if the department's analysis of preseason survey data indicates that the population of blue king crab contains at least 1.609 million mature males.  
	(b)  If the commercial blue king crab fishery is open under (a) of this section, and the estimated population number of mature males ("M") is  
		(1) at least 1.609 million mature males, but less than 3.217 million mature males, the number of legal males available for harvest will be no more than a percentage of the estimated population number of mature males equal to a number derived from the equation [(M/3.217) x 100 percent] or 25 percent of the estimated population number of legal males, whichever is less;  
		(2) 3.217 million or more mature males, the number of legal males available for harvest will be no more than 10 percent of the estimated population number of mature males or 25 percent of the estimated population number of legal males, whichever is less.  
	(c)  In implementing this harvest strategy, the Alaska Board of Fisheries directs the department to use the best scientific information available and to consider the reliability of estimates of blue king crab, the manageability of the fishery, and any other factors it determines necessary to be consistent with sustained yield principles.  
	(d)  For the purposes of this section,  
		(1) "estimated population number" means the  
			(A) population number present at the time of the preseason survey as estimated directly by the area-swept method from annual trawl survey data, if a stock-assessment model is not used for abundance estimation;  
			(B) model-estimated population number present at the time of the preseason survey times the estimated survey selectivity and catchability, if a stock-assessment model is used for abundance estimation;  
		(2) "legal males" means all male blue king crab at least  
			(A) 5.5 inches in width of shell; or  
			(B) 120 millimeters in length of shell, if only shell length measurements are available in the preseason survey data;  
		(3) "mature males" means all male blue king crab at least 105 millimeters in length of shell.  

Authorities

16.05.060;16.05.251

Notes

Authority

AS 16.05.060 AS 16.05.251

History

Eff. 8/31/2000, Register 155; am 8/24/2002, Register 163; am 8/14/2005, Register 175; em am 10/5/2009 - 2/1/2010, Register 192; am 6/10/2010, Register 194; am 6/27/2014, Register 210