Section 5.35.510. Fishing seasons for Registration Area J.

	(a)  In the Kodiak District,  
		(1) pots may be operated to take Tanner crab only from 8:00 a.m. to 5:59 p.m., with a soak time of 14 hours from 6:00 p.m. to 7:59 a.m., from 12:00 noon January 15 until 12:00 noon March 31;  
		(2) the season opening shall be delayed for 24 hours if the January 14, 4:00 a.m. National Weather Service forecast for the current day and night or the following day and night for any section of the Kodiak District, except in the Semidi Island Overlap and Southwest Sections, contains a gale warning, in which case the season opening in all sections of the Kodiak District eligible for a season opening will be delayed 24 hours; if after the initial weather delay, the 4:00 a.m. National Weather Service forecast for the current day and night or the following day and night again contains a gale warning, the season opening in all sections will be delayed an additional 24 hours; the season opening delays may continue on a rolling 24-hour basis until 12:00 noon on January 25, when the season will open regardless of any gale warning in the National Weather Service forecasts; for the purposes of this paragraph, the corresponding National Weather Service forecast areas for the sections of the Kodiak District are as follows:  
			(A) Northeast Section: 3B;  
			(B) Eastside Section: 3B;  
			(C) Southeast Section: 3B;  
			(D) Westside Section: 3C;  
			(E) North Mainland Section: 3C;  
		(3) based on the department's assessment of effort, manageability, and harvest rate, the commissioner may, by emergency order, increase the daily fishing period in the sections specified in this subsection, when the effort in the district declines and a substantial amount of the guideline harvest level remains to be taken.  
	(b)  In the Chignik District,  
		(1) when the guideline harvest level is 200,000 pounds or more, pots may be operated to take Tanner crab only from 8:00 a.m. to 5:59 p.m., with a soak time of 14 hours from 6:00 p.m. to 7:59 a.m., from 12:00 noon January 15 through 12:00 noon March 31;  
		(2) the season opening shall be delayed for 24 hours if the January 14, 4:00 a.m. National Weather Service marine forecast for the current day and night or the following day and night contains a gale warning; if after the initial weather delay, the 4:00 a.m. National Weather Service marine forecast for the current day and night or the following day and night again contains a gale warning, the season opening will be delayed an additional 24 hours; the season opening delays may continue on a rolling 24-hour basis until 12:00 noon on January 25, when the season will open regardless of the National Weather Service marine forecasts; for the purposes of this paragraph, the corresponding National Weather Service marine forecast area for the Chignik District is Area 155: Coastal Waters South of the Alaska Peninsula Castle Cape to Cape Sarichef.  
	(c)  In the South Peninsula District,  
		(1) when the guideline harvest level is 200,000 pounds or more, pots may be operated to take Tanner crab only from 8:00 a.m. to 5:59 p.m., with a soak time of 14 hours from 6:00 p.m. to 7:59 a.m., from 12:00 noon January 15 through 12:00 noon March 31;  
		(2) the season opening shall be delayed for 24 hours if the January 14, 4:00 a.m. National Weather Service marine forecast for the current day and night or the following day and night contains a gale warning; if after the initial weather delay, the 4:00 a.m. National Weather Service marine forecast for the current day and night or the following day and night again contains a gale warning, the season opening will be delayed an additional 24 hours; the season opening delays may continue on a rolling 24-hour basis until 12:00 noon on January 25, when the season will open regardless of the National Weather Service marine forecasts; for the purposes of this paragraph, the corresponding National Weather Service marine forecast area for the South Peninsula District is Area 155: Coastal Waters South of the Alaska Peninsula Castle Cape to Cape Sarichef.  
	(d)  In the Eastern Aleutian District, pots may be operated to take Tanner crab only from 8:00 a.m. to 5:59 p.m., with a soak time of 14 hours, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:59 a.m., from 12:00 noon January 15 until 12:00 noon March 31, unless closed earlier by emergency order.  
	(e)  In the Western Aleutian District, pots may be operated to take Tanner crab only during a season opened by emergency order from 12:00 noon November 1 through 12:00 noon March 31.  
	(f)  In the Bering Sea District, Tanner crab fishing seasons are as follows:  
		(1) male C. bairdi Tanner crab may be taken from 12:00 noon October 15 until 11:59 p.m. March 31;  
		(2) in waters west of 166_ W. long., male C. opilio Tanner crab may be taken from  
			(A) 12:00 noon October 15 through 11:59 p.m. May 15 in the Eastern Subdistrict; and  
			(B) 12:00 noon October 15 through 11:59 p.m. May 31 in the Western Subdistrict;  
		(3) male hybrid Tanner crab may be taken during the open seasons specified in (1) and (2) of this subsection, under the identification criteria specified in 5 AAC 35.521(c);  
		(4) Tanner crab may not be taken or possessed in the Norton Sound Section of the Eastern Subdistrict.  
	(g)  For the purposes of this section, "soak time" means the period of time that Tanner crab pot gear is submerged in the water in fishing condition and not being operated.  

Authorities

16.05.060;16.05.251

Notes

Reference

20 AAC 05.830
5 AAC 35.521

Authority

AS 16.05.060 AS 16.05.251

History

In effect before 1981; am 6/28/81, Register 78; am 7/25/82, Register 83; am 6/30/83, Register 86; am 6/30/84, Register 90; am 7/14/85, Register 95; am 7/23/88, Register 107; am 9/19/90, Register 115; em am 2/12/91 - 6/11/91, Register 117; am 4/30/91, Register 118; em am 1/9/92 - 5/7/92, Register 121; am 1/24/92, Register 121; am 6/19/92, Register 122; am 6/24/93, Register 126; am 10/1/93, Register 127; am 9/29/96, Register 139; am 11/6/96, Register 140; am 8/5/99, Register 151; am 8/31/2000, Register 155; am 8/24/2002, Register 163; am 8/14/2005, Register 175; am 7/16/2011, Register 199; am 6/1/2013, Register 206; am 6/27/2014, Register 210