Section 5.47.055. Southeast Alaska King Salmon Management Plan.

	(a)  The commissioner shall establish, by emergency order, the king salmon sport fish bag and possession limits and all other necessary management measures based on the preseason king salmon abundance index determined by the Chinook Technical Committee of the Pacific Salmon Commission. The bag and possession limits and other management measures established by the commissioner will remain in effect until December 31. For the following year, until that year's preseason abundance index becomes available, the bag and possession limits and other management measures will be based on the prior year's preseason abundance index. If the new preseason king salmon abundance index is not available by May 1, the bag and possession limits and other management measures for the remainder of the year will be based on the prior year's preseason abundance index, unless superseded by emergency order.  
	(b)  The objectives of the management plan under this section are to  
		(1) manage the sport fishery to attain an average harvest of 20 percent of the annual harvest ceiling specified by the Pacific Salmon Commission, after the subtraction of the commercial net allocation specified in 5 AAC 29.060 from the harvest ceiling;  
		(2) allow uninterrupted sport fishing in salt waters for king salmon, while not exceeding the sport fishery harvest ceiling;  
		(3) minimize regulatory restrictions on resident anglers; and  
		(4) provide stability to the sport fishery by eliminating inseason regulatory changes, except those necessary for conservation purposes.  
	(c)  When the king salmon abundance index is greater than 2.0, the commissioner may, by emergency order, implement the following management measures:  
		(1) from October 1 through March 31, a sport fish angler may use two rods when fishing for king salmon; a person using two rods under this paragraph may only retain king salmon;  
		(2) a resident bag limit of three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;  
		(3) a nonresident bag limit of two king salmon in May and June and one king salmon for the remainder of the year; a nonresident annual limit of six king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length.  
	(d)  When the king salmon abundance index is 1.76 to 2.0, the commissioner may, by emergency order, implement the following management measures:  
		(1) from October 1 through March 31, a sport fish angler may use two rods when fishing for king salmon; a person using two rods under this paragraph may only retain king salmon;  
		(2) a resident bag limit of three king salmon;  
		(3) a nonresident bag limit of two king salmon in May and one king salmon for the remainder of the year; a nonresident annual limit of five to six king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length, established by emergency order.  
	(e)  When the king salmon abundance index is 1.51 to 1.75, the commissioner may, by emergency order, implement the following management measures:  
		(1) from October 1 through March 31, a sport fish angler may use two rods when fishing for king salmon; a person using two rods under this paragraph may only retain king salmon;  
		(2) a resident bag limit of three king salmon;  
		(3) a nonresident bag limit of two king salmon in May and one king salmon for the remainder of the year; a nonresident annual limit of four to five king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length, established by emergency order.  
	(f)  When the king salmon abundance index is greater than 1.2 and less than or equal to 1.5, the commissioner shall, by emergency order, implement the following management measures:  
		(1) a resident bag limit of two king salmon;  
		(2) a nonresident bag limit of one king salmon;  
		(3) a nonresident annual limit of three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;  
		(4) from October 1 through March 31, a resident sport fish angler may use two rods when fishing for king salmon; a person using two rods under this paragraph may only retain king salmon.  
	(g)  When the king salmon abundance index is less than or equal to 1.2, the commissioner shall, by emergency order, implement the following management measures:  
		(1) a bag limit of one king salmon;  
		(2) from January 1 through June 30, a nonresident's harvest limit is three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;  
		(3) from July 1 through July 15, a nonresident's harvest limit is two king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length, and any king salmon 28 inches or greater in length harvested by the nonresident from January 1 through June 30 will apply toward the two fish harvest limit;  
		(4) from July 16 through December 31, a nonresident's harvest limit is one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length, and any king salmon 28 inches or greater in length harvested by the nonresident from January 1 through July 15 will apply toward the one fish harvest limit;  
		(5) from October 1 through March 31, a resident sport fish angler may use two rods when fishing for king salmon; a person using two rods under this paragraph may only retain king salmon.  
	(h)  In addition to the provisions of (g) of this section, when the king salmon abundance index is less than or equal to 1.1, the commissioner shall, by emergency order, implement the following management measures:  
		(1) a resident bag and possession limit of one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;  
		(2) from May 1 through June 30, a nonresident annual harvest limit is three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length, and any king salmon 28 inches or greater in length harvested by a nonresident from January 1 through June 30 will apply towards the three fish annual limit;  
		(3) from July 1 through December 31, a nonresident annual harvest limit is one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length, and any king salmon 28 inches or greater in length harvested by a nonresident from January 1 through June 30 will apply towards the one fish annual limit;  
		(4) from October 1 through March 31, a resident sport fish angler may use two rods when fishing for king salmon; a person using two rods under this paragraph may only retain king salmon.  
	(i)  In addition the provisions specified in (g) and (h) of this section, when the king salmon abundance index is less than 1.0, the commissioner may, by emergency order, specify fishing times during which the retention of king salmon less than 48 inches in length is prohibited by nonresident anglers. The commissioner may also independently, by emergency order, implement nonretention periods or other restrictions for resident anglers to obtain 20 percent of the harvest reduction from resident anglers and 80 percent from nonresident anglers. Fishing times of nonretention will be established on a regular basis between July 16 and July 31, as needed, and will be established on nonconsecutive days when possible. If the entire period of July 16 through July 31 is established as a fishing time of nonretention and additional closures are necessary, additional fishing times of nonretention will be similarly established between July 1 and July 15.  
	(j)  The commissioner may adopt regulations that establish reporting requirements necessary to obtain the information required to implement the management plan under this section.  
	(k) The commissioner may, by emergency order, establish that the nonresident harvest and annual limits for king salmon under this section do not apply in a hatchery terminal harvest area.  

Authorities

16.05.060;16.05.251;16.05.270

Notes

Reference

5 AAC 47.020
5 AAC 47.022
5 AAC 47.023
5 AAC 47.030
5 AAC 47.057

Authority

AS 16.05.060 AS 16.05.251 AS 16.05.270

History

Eff. 4/15/94, Register 130; am 5/2/97, Register 142; am 5/25/2000, Register 154; am 6/1/2003, Register 166; em am 4/13/2005 - 8/10/2005, Register 174; em am 5/3/2005 - 8/30/2005, Register 174; am 5/26/2006, Register 178; am 5/1/2008, Register 186; am 5/31/2009, Register 190; am 7/13/ 2012, Register 203