Section 5.35.509. Eastern Aleutian District Tanner crab harvest strategy.

	(a)  In the Eastern Aleutian District, a commercial Tanner crab fishery may open only if analysis of preseason survey data indicates that the subject population meets or exceeds the threshold level of mature male abundance specified in (b) of this section, which is one-half the long-term average of mature male abundance, and the fishery is in a section of the Eastern Aleutian District that is sufficient to provide a guideline harvest level of 35,000 pounds or more as calculated under (d) of this section.  
	(b)  The threshold levels of mature male abundance, in numbers of crab, for the following sections of the Eastern Aleutian District are as follows:   
		(1) Akutan Section:                     200,000  
		(2) Unalaska/Kalekta Bay Section:                     65,000  
		(3) Makushin/Skan Bay Section:                     45,000  
	(c)  In the Eastern Aleutian District, the  
		(1) registration deadline is 5:00 p.m. December 24;  
		(2) vessel operator must register with the department before fishing in any of the sections and may not be simultaneously registered to fish in more than one section at a time;  
		(3) commissioner may close, by emergency order, any section based on fishery performance.  
	(d)  If the commercial Tanner crab fishery in the Eastern Aleutian District is opened under (a) of this section and the threshold level of mature male abundance  
		(1) is equal to or less than the long-term average of mature male abundance, the guideline harvest level will be no more than 10 percent of the molting mature male abundance and no more than 30 percent of the legal size male abundance;  
		(2) exceeds the long-term average of mature male abundance, the guideline harvest level will be no more than 20 percent of the molting mature male abundance and no more than 30 percent of the legal size male abundance.   
	(e)  In implementing the harvest strategy under this section, the board understands that the department will consider the reliability of the estimates of abundance of Tanner crab, the manageability of the fishery, and other factors deemed necessary to be consistent with sustained yield principles and to use the best scientific information available.  
	(f)  Nothing in this section prohibits the department from opening a commercial fishery for Tanner crab in the General Section of the Eastern Aleutian District if preseason survey results indicate that a harvestable surplus of Tanner crab is available and the harvest rate would not exceed 20 percent of the molting mature male abundance or 30 percent of the legal male abundance.  
	(g)  The long-term average of mature male abundance in numbers of crab for each of the following sections of the Eastern Aleutian District are as follows:  
		(1) Akutan Section:                     400,000  
		(2) Unalaska/Kalekta Bay Section:                     130,000  
		(3) Makushin/Skan Bay Section:                     90,000  
	(h)  For the purposes of this section,  
		(1) "long-term average of mature male abundance" means the long-term average of the estimated abundance of male Tanner crab greater than 114 millimeters in carapace width;  
		(2) "molting mature male abundance" means the estimated abundance of 100 percent of newshell, and 15 percent of oldshell Tanner crab that are more than 114 millimeters in carapace width.  

Authorities

16.05.060;16.05.251

Notes

Authority

AS 16.05.060 AS 16.05.251

History

Eff. 9/12/2008, Register 187