Section 5 AAC 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 allocation to the sport fishery as determined by 5 AAC 29.060. The bag and possession limits and other management measures established by the commissioner will remain in effect until March 31 of the following year.(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 harvest ceiling;(3) minimize regulatory restrictions on resident anglers; and(4) allow for the transfer of any projected unused balance in sport allocation to the troll fishery at a date determined by the department.(c) When the allocation of treaty king salmon to the sport fishery, as determined by 5 AAC 29.060, is greater than 69,014 fish the commissioner may implement by emergency order the following management measures: (1) a resident bag limit of three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;(2) a nonresident bag limit of one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;(3) from January 1 through June 30, a nonresident annual harvest limit of three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;(4) from July 1 through July 15, a nonresident annual harvest limit of two king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length; any king salmon harvested by a nonresident from January 1 through June 30 will apply towards the two fish annual harvest limit;(5) from July 16 through December 31, a nonresident annual harvest limit of one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length; any king salmon harvested by a nonresident from January 1 through July 15 will apply towards the one fish annual harvest limit;(6) 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 salmon.(d) When the allocation of treaty king salmon to the sport fishery, as determined by 5 AAC 29.060 is between 55,421 and 69,014 fish, the commissioner may implement by emergency order the following management measures: (1) a resident bag limit of three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;(2) a nonresident bag limit of one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;(3) from January 1 through June 30, a nonresident annual harvest limit of three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;(4) from July 1 through July 15, a nonresident annual harvest limit of two king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length; any king salmon harvested by a nonresident from January 1 through June 30 will apply towards the two fish annual harvest limit;(5) from July 16 through December 31, a nonresident annual harvest limit of one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length: any king salmon harvested by a nonresident from January 1 through July 15 will apply towards the one fish annual harvest limit;(6) 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 salmon.(e) When the allocation of treaty king salmon to the sport fishery, as determined by 5 AAC 29.060, is between 42,685 and 55,420 fish the commissioner may implement by emergency order the following management measures: (1) a resident bag limit of two king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;(2) a nonresident bag limit of one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;(3) from January 1 through June 30, a nonresident annual harvest limit of three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;(4) from July 1 through July 15, a nonresident annual harvest limit of two king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length; any king salmon harvested by a nonresident from January 1 through June 30 will apply towards the two fish annual harvest limit;(5) from July 16 through December 31, a nonresident annual harvest limit of one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length; any king salmon harvested by a nonresident from January 1 through July 15 will apply towards the one fish annual harvest limit;(6) 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 salmon.(f) When the allocation of treaty king salmon to the sport fishery, as determined by 5 AAC 29.060, is between 34,303 and 42,684 fish the commissioner may implement by emergency order the following management measures: (1) a resident bag limit of two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length;(2) a nonresident bag limit of one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;(3) from January 1 through June 30, a nonresident annual harvest limit of three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;(4) from July 1 through July 15, a nonresident annual harvest limit of two king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length; any king salmon harvested by a nonresident from January 1 through June 30 will apply towards the two fish annual harvest limit;(5) from July 16 through December 31, a nonresident annual harvest limit of one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length; any king salmon harvested by a nonresident from January 1 through July 15 will apply towards the one fish annual harvest limit;(6) 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 salmon.(g) When the allocation of treaty king salmon to the sport fishery, as determined by 5 AAC 29.060, is between 22,328 and 34,302 fish the commissioner may implement by emergency order the following management measures: (1) a bag limit of one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;(2) from January 1 through June 30, a nonresident annual harvest limit of three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;(3) from July 1 through July 7, a nonresident annual harvest limit of two king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length; any king salmon harvested by the nonresident from January 1 through June 30 will apply toward the two fish annual harvest limit;(4) from July 8 through December 31, a nonresident annual harvest limit of one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length: any king salmon harvested by a nonresident from January 1 through December 31 will apply towards the one fish annual harvest limit;(5) a resident bag limit of two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length will be established in areas where conservation management measures have prohibited king salmon retention or closed fishing for king salmon for all anglers once they reopen.(h) When the allocation of treaty king salmon to the sport fishery, as determined by 5 AAC 29.060, is between 19,381 and 22,327 fish the commissioner may implement by emergency order the following management measures: (1) a bag limit of one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;(2) from January 1 through June 30, a nonresident annual harvest limit of three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length;(3) from July 1 through December 31, a nonresident annual harvest limit of one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in lengthy; any king salmon harvested by a nonresident from January 1 through June 30 will apply towards the one fish annual harvest limit;(4) a resident bag limit of two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length will be established in areas where conservation management measures have prohibited king salmon retention or closed fishing for king salmon for all anglers once they reopen.(i) When the allocation of treaty king salmon to the sport fishery, as determined by 5 AAC 29.060, is less than 19,381 fish, the commissioner may implement by emergency order the provisions specified in (g) and (h) of this section.(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.(l) A harvest record under 5 AAC 75.006 is required for nonresidents.(m) The department shall manage the resident sport fishery so that there are no closures for residents, unless the commissioner determines that additional harvest reduction to the resident bag limits is necessary to comply with the Pacific Salmon Treaty.(n) The provisions of this section do not apply after July 31, 2025.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; am 6/17/2018, Register 226, July 2018; am 6/28/2019, Register 230, May 2019; am 10/16/2022, Register 244, January 2023; am 4/28/2024, Register 250, July 2024Authority:AS 16.05.060
AS 16.05.251
AS 16.05.270