Section 5 AAC 34.125 - Lawful gear for Registration Area A(a) King crab may be taken only by king crab pots, except that golden king crab taken in Tanner crab pots as described in 5 AAC 35.125(f) may be retained if the CFEC permit holder fishing for Tanner crab is also registered to fish for golden king crab and both crab fisheries are open at the same time. King crab taken by other means must be returned to the water without further harm.(b) The following king crab pot limits are in effect in Registration Area A: (1) during the commercial red king crab season, the maximum number of king crab pots that may be operated from a vessel registered to fish for king crab is as follows: (A) no more than 20 king crab pots when the guideline harvest level is at least 200,000 but not more than 399, 999 pounds;(B) no more than 30 king crab pots when the guideline harvest level is at least 400,000 but not more than 499, 999 pounds;(C) no more than 40 king crab pots when the guideline harvest level is at least 500,000 but not more than 599, 999 pounds;(D) no more than 50 king crab pots when the guideline harvest level is 600,000 pounds or more;(2) when the commercial golden king crab season is open in Registration Area A, and the commercial red king crab or Tanner crab season is closed, no more than 80 king crab pots may be operated from a vessel registered to fish for king crab;(3) when the commercial golden king crab and Tanner crab seasons are open in Registration Area A at the same time, an aggregate of no more than 80 king and Tanner crab pots may be operated from a vessel registered to fish for both king crab and Tanner crab;(4) when the commercial red and golden king crab seasons are open in Registration Area A at the same time, the pot limits described in (1) of this subsection apply to any vessel registered to fish for king crab.(c) A king crab pot must have either at least the bottom one-third of one vertical surface of a square pot, or sloping sidewall surface of a conical or pyramid pot, composed of not less than nine-inch stretch mesh webbing or have at least four circular escape rings of six and one-quarter inches minimum inside diameter. The lowest edge of each escape ring must be within eight inches of the top of the bottom web bar on the pot. One ring must be installed in each quadrant of the pot. Escape rings or stretch mesh webbing must be so located on the vertical or sloping sidewall surface to permit the escapement of undersize crab.(d) In Registration Area A, a registered king crab vessel may not have, at any time in the aggregate, more than the legal limit of gear on board the vessel, in the water in fishing condition, and in the water in non-fishing condition.(e) A vessel engaged in taking or transporting king crab may not have on board an otter trawl with a ground line or headline longer than 60 feet.In effect before 1982; am 4/14/82, Register 82; 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 7/12/86, Register 99; am 12/14/86, Register 100; am 7/23/88, Register 107; am 9/19/90, Register 115; am 6/24/93, Register 126; am 3/15/96, Register 137; am 11/6/96, Register 140; am 8/24/2002, Register 163; am 8/14/2005, Register 175; am 7/29/2009, Register 191; am 5/9/2015, Register 214, July 2015; am 9/25/2022, Register 243, October 2022