ADFG Announces Revised Deadline For Finfish Proposal Comments

The following is courtesy of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game:

This is a special reminder that the Alaska Board of Fisheries (board) current call for proposals is for proposed changes to the subsistence, personal use, sport, guided sport, and commercial fishing regulations for the Bristol Bay; Arctic, Yukon, Kuskokwim; Alaska Peninsula, Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea, Chignik; and Statewide finfish management areas. Finfish includes salmon, herring, trout, other freshwater finfishes, and groundfish, including Pacific cod, for consideration by the board in its revised 2022/2023 meeting cycle. The board may also consider subsistence proposals for other topics (including other areas) under the subsistence proposal policy, 5 AAC 96.615, if proposals are submitted within this deadline and the board determines they meet the criteria in either 5 AAC 96.615(a)(1) or (2).

Due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, at its March 8, 2021, special meeting the board moved all the meetings originally scheduled for the 2021/2022 meeting cycle to 2022/2023 and accordingly revised the proposal deadline to Monday, April 11, 2022. This was announced on March 10, 2021.

To ensure the proposal book is finished in advance of the board meetings, the board sets Monday, April 11, 2022, as the proposal deadline.

Proposals may be submitted online, email, mail or fax at:

Online:    http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fisheriesboard.forms

Email:    dfg.bof.comments@alaska.gov

Mail:              

ADF&G, Boards Support Section

P.O. Box 115526

Juneau, AK 99811-5526

Fax:      (907) 465-6094

Proposals must be received by Monday, April 11, 2022 at the Boards Support Section office in Juneau. A postmark is NOT sufficient for timely receipt.

Interested parties are encouraged to submit proposals at the earliest possible date. The Board of Fisheries proposal form, including the on-line proposal form, is available at the Boards Support website, http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fisheriesboard.forms. Proposal forms are also available at any Boards Support office. Proposals must be submitted on the current approved form. Any additional information provided with the form, such as tables, Internet web links, or charts, will not be included in the proposal book.

The completed proposal form must contain a contact telephone number and address. Email addresses are appreciated. Please print or type the individual’s or organization’s name as appropriate.

All proposals are reviewed prior to publication. Language that is emotionally charged detracts from the substance of the proposal and may draw opposition not germane to the element(s) of the proposal. Such language may be edited or deleted prior to publication. Proposals that do not meet the call will not be accepted. Proposals must pertain to the region, species, and uses in this call. If duplicative proposals are received by the same individual or group only one will be included in the proposal book.

Proposals published in the proposal book will be referenced with the appropriate Alaska Administrative Code citation and include a brief description of the action requested.

Proposal books are sent to advisory committees and the public for review and comment. Proposals are online at http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fisheriesboard.proposalbook. Those submitting proposals are encouraged to review the proposal book at their earliest convenience to ensure proposals are included and accurate. Noted errors and omissions should be reported to Boards Support immediately. The public is encouraged to visit the Board of Fisheries website frequently for news and information regarding the upcoming cycle.

Responsive proposals received by the proposal deadline will be considered by the Board of Fisheries during the October 2022 through March 2023 meeting schedule.

For more information, please contact the Alaska Board of Fisheries Executive Director, (907) 465-4110.