March 17th, 2014: Bigwave Dave spoke with Trent Hartill, Groundfish Management Biologist for Alaska Department of Fish & Game.
He got an update on the pot cod quota for the South Alaska Peninsula (18,408,522lbs total GHL for 2014). Trent said that approximately 9.7 million pounds had been caught so far…
Meeting has been aired & archived.
Stream it (HTML5):
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The 2013 South Alaska Peninsula state-waters Pacific cod season for vessels using pot gear will open at 12:00 noon on Thursday, March 7, 2013 unless delayed by weather. Pot vessels are restricted to operating no more than 60 pots. Buoy tags are required for all pot gear. Open and unbaited pots may be stored in waters less than 25 fathoms deep prior to the start of the state-waters pot season. Pot gear may not be baited or placed into waters deeper than 25 fathoms until the pot season opens. The 2013 South Alaska Peninsula state-waters Pacific cod guideline harvest level (GHL) is 15,586,682 pounds. Pot vessels are allocated 85 percent of the GHL or 13,248,680 pounds.
The state-waters Pacific cod season for vessels using jig gear will open 48 hours after closure of the Western Gulf of Alaska (WGOA) federal/parallel jig gear A-season, unless delayed by weather. However, if the WGOA federal/parallel jig A-season has not closed by March 15, ADF&G may close the WGOA parallel (0-3 nautical miles from shore) jig season and open the South Alaska Peninsula state-waters jig season based on inseason assessment of effort, harvest rate and remaining federal/parallel jig quota. During the state-waters season jig vessels may not operate more than 5 mechanical jig machines with no more than 30 hooks per line. Jig vessels are allocated 15 percent of the total GHL or 2,338,002 pounds.
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2013 Chignik Area State-Waters Pacific Cod Season Openings – Posted 02/12/2013 4:30 PM (pdf)
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SUPPLEMENTAL NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE REGULATIONS OF THE ALASKA BOARD OF FISHERIES
This is a SUPPLEMENTAL NOTICE adding to the NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES that was issued on November 2, 2012, hereby incorporated by reference, concerning proposed regulation changes in Title 5 of the Alaska Administrative Code. This SUPPLEMENTAL NOTICE is being issued to notify the public of the following topic being added to the Board of Fisheries (board) schedule to be considered at the meeting noted:
The following additional topic will be addressed at the board’s Alaska Peninsula/Aleutian Islands Finfish meeting scheduled for February 26 – March 4, 2013 at the Sheraton Hotel, 401 East 6th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska:
IN THE BRISTOL BAY AREA: Consider a board-generated proposal to establish provisions, for the Ugashik and Egegik districts, to allow a person who holds two Bristol Bay CFEC set gillnet permits to “stack” those permits and operate extra gillnet gear within certain gear specifications, including length of gear and gear marking requirements (5 AAC 06.331).
All other provisions posted in the November 2, 2012 NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES remain the same, including the public comment periods and tentative meeting schedule.
For a copy of the proposed regulation changes, or for a copy of the November 2, 2012 NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES, contact the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Boards Support Section, P.O. Box 115526, Juneau, AK 99811-5526, phone 907-465-4110, or access the Internet at:
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fisheriesboard.meetinginfo
Statutory Authority: AS 16.05 – AS 16.20; AS 16.40
Statutes being implemented, interpreted, or made specific: AS 16.05
Fiscal Information: The proposed regulatory actions are not expected to require an increased appropriation.
Date: January 23, 2013 _______________________________________
Monica Wellard, Executive Director, Alaska Board of Fisheries
ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS NOTICE INFORMATION
(AS 44.62.190(d))
1. Adopting Agency: Alaska Board of Fisheries
2. General subject of regulation: Set gillnet specifications and operations in the Bristol Bay Area.
3. Citation of regulations: 5 AAC 06.331
4. Reason for proposed action: To consider allowing a person who holds two Bristol Bay CFEC set gillnet permits to “stack” those permits and operate extra gillnet gear in the Ugashik and Egegik Districts.
5. Appropriation/Allocation: Natural Resources and all RDUs.
6. Cost of implementation to the state agency and available funding: These actions are not expected to require any additional costs.
7. The name of the contact person for the regulations:
Monica Wellard, Executive Director
Alaska Board of Fisheries
PO Box 115526
Juneau, AK 99811-5526
(907) 465-4110
8. The origin of the proposed action: Board of Fisheries (board-generated proposal)
9. Date: January 23, 2013 Prepared by: ___________________
Monica Wellard, Executive Director, Alaska Board of Fisheries (907) 465-4110
PROPOSAL 250 – 5 AAC 06.331. Gillnet specifications and operations. For the Ugashik and Egegik districts, establish provisions to allow a person who holds two Bristol Bay CFEC set gillnet permits to “stack” those permits and operate extra gillnet gear within certain gear specifications, including length of gear and gear marking requirements, as follows:
5 AAC 06.331 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
(v) In the Ugashik and Egegik Districts, a CFEC permit holder who holds two Bristol Bay set gillnet permits may not operate more than four set gillnets, and the aggregate length of set gillnets operated by the CFEC permit holder may not exceed 100 fathoms. A single set gillnet may not exceed 50 fathoms in length. The buoys must be marked as specified in 5 AAC 06.334 and 5 AAC 39.280 with both of the CFEC permit holder’s five digit permit numbers followed by the letter “D”. In addition, at least one cork every 10 fathoms along the cork line must be plainly and legibly marked with both CFEC permit numbers. All identifiers must be displayed in a manner that is plainly visible, unobscured, and in a color that contrasts with the background.
ISSUE: Whether to allow set gillnet permit stacking in selected districts of Bristol Bay.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF NOTHING IS DONE? Set gillnet permit stacking will not be allowed in Bristol Bay. This may allow new participants to enter the fishery as multiple permit holders divest. However, it may also increase difficulty for families to retain possession of permits as family members leave and re-enter the fishery in response to changing circumstances.
WILL THE QUALITY OF THE RESOURCE HARVESTED OR PRODUCTS PRODUCED BE IMPROVED? No.
WHO IS LIKELY TO BENEFIT? Set gillnet fishermen who are able to own and fish two permits.
WHO IS LIKELY TO SUFFER? Unknown.
OTHER SOLUTIONS CONSIDERED? The board considered repealing the sunset clause for this regulation at the December 2012 meeting in Naknek and subsequently voted to allow the regulation to sunset.
PROPOSED BY: Alaska Board of Fisheries.
via http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=cfnews_mobile.main
Emergency Order No. 4-S-7-13
All remaining open waters of the Eastern Section of the South Peninsula District will close to Tanner crab fishing at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 26, 2013. Catch reports indicate total harvest will approach survey estimates of allowable Tanner crab surplus. Further harvest is not warranted to protect the long-term health of the Tanner crab stock.
All pots within the Eastern Section of the South Peninsula District must be open and unbaited at the time of the closure. Unbaited pots may be stored in the closed area at any depth for seven days. After seven days, all pots remaining in the closed area must be removed from the water or placed in waters less than 25 fathoms deep.
Vessel operators are required to deliver all catch within 24 hours of the closure. After delivery pots may be retrieved at any time.
All updates from: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=cfnews_mobile.main
2013 South Peninsula District Tanner Crab Season Opening – 01/14/2013 7:45 AM
The Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) has released Special Publication 12 -31 “Genetic Stock Composition of the Commercial Harvest of Sockeye Salmon in the Southeastern District Mainland (SEDM), Alaska Peninsula Management Area, 2010 -2012†on the ADF&G website.
Here’s the link:
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/FedAidPDFs/SP12-31.pdf
All Commercial Fisheries Announcements linked below are PDFs.
FYI:
Alaska Peninsula / Aleutian Islands Finfish – February 26 –March 4, 2013
Comment Deadline: February 12, 2013
Location: Anchorage – Sheraton Hotel
Meeting Documents:
Proposals (PDF 238 kB)
Sand Point Commercial Salmon Fishery Announcement # 14 For Emergency Order #4-FS-M-SP-16-12
Commercial salmon fishing will be allowed in the South Central Districts and the Shumagin Islands portion of the Southeastern District for 24 hours from 9:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 17 until 9:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 18, 2012.
Commercial salmon fishing will also be allowed in the Beaver Bay, Balboa Bay, Southwest Stepovak, Stepovak Flats, and East Stepovak sections of the Southeastern District for approximately 36 hours from noon Tuesday, July 17 through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, July 18, 2012.
In addition, the Northwest Stepovak section will open to commercial salmon fishing for 48 hours from noon Tuesday, July 17 until noon Thursday, July 19, 2012. The closed waters of Orzinski Bay will be extended to the 1,000 yard markers.
All closed waters in the above locations will be as described in the regulation book or as adjusted by emergency order.
Statistical charts and harvest strategies are available at the Sand Point, Cold Bay, and Port Moller Fish and Game offices. Commercial salmon fishing regulations, commercial harvest, escapement, and news releases can be found on the ADF&G website at: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=commercialbyareaakpeninsula.salmon.
Salmon fishery announcements will be broadcast on VHF channels 6 and 73 daily at 9:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. and may also be obtained from ADF&G in Sand Point at 383-2334 (383-ADFG).
Sand Point Commercial Salmon Fishery Announcement # 02 For Emergency Order #4-FS-M-SP-02-12
The Southeastern District Mainland Section of the Southeastern District will open to commercial salmon fishing for 48 hours from noon Saturday, June 16 until noon Monday, June 18, 2012. Fishermen are reminded that only set gillnet gear may be used in the Southeastern District Mainland prior to July 11.
All closed waters in the above locations will be as described in the regulation book or as adjusted by emergency order.
Statistical charts and harvest strategies are available at the Sand Point, Cold Bay, and Port Moller Fish and Game offices. Commercial salmon fishing regulations, commercial harvest, escapement, and news releases can be found on the ADF&G website at: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=commercialbyareaakpeninsula.salmon.
Salmon fishery announcements will be broadcast on VHF channels 6 and 73 daily at 9:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. and may also be obtained from ADF&G in Sand Point at 383-2334 (383-ADFG).
As of March 18th 2012, 10.7 million pounds of pot cod have been harvested, leaving 2.4 million pounds yet to be caught.
There is about 1 and a half to two days fishing remaining. We are on a rolling day by day basis with an announcement planned Wednesday, March 21st, or Thursday, March 22nd.
The Pacific Cod Jig Fishery remains closed due to gale force winds and will continue on hold until Monday, March 26th. Then will reopen regardless of weather conditions.
This comes from Mark Stickert at Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Kodiak, Alaska. (907)-486-1840