Section 5 AAC 39.166 - Mandatory retention of prohibited salmon species by commercial trawl vessels for counting and sampling(a) The operator of a vessel taking groundfish with trawl gear in the waters of Alaska in the Bering Sea-Aleutian Islands Area described in 5 AAC 28.600 shall retain, on board the vessel or at the shoreside processing plant, salmon taken as bycatch with the trawl gear. After the salmon bycatch has been counted and sampled by a groundfish observer certified by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the vessel operator shall provide for the disposal of the salmon in marine waters in a manner not inconsistent with applicable state or federal statutes and regulations.(b) The operator of a vessel taking groundfish with trawl gear in federal waters adjacent to the area described in (a) of this section shall comply with (a) of this section if salmon taken as bycatch with the trawl gear are brought into the waters of Alaska.(c) For the purposes of this section "sample" means to examine a portion of the bycatch, and may include (1) noting sex, species, length, and weight;(2) taking scale or tissue specimens; and(3) taking other measurements or specimens considered necessary by either the groundfish observer or a representative of the department.Eff. 7/23/94, Register 131; am 6/2/95, Register 134