Board Of Fisheries’ Proposed Regulation Changes

The following is courtesy of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Board of Fisheries:

NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE REGULATIONS OF THE ALASKA BOARD OF FISHERIES

The Alaska Board of Fisheries proposes to adopt, amend, or repeal regulation changes in Title 5 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with fishery and aquatic plant resources in the areas designated below, including the following regulations:

1. IN THE PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND (INCLUDING UPPER COPPER RIVER, UPPER
SUSITNA RIVER, PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND SALTWATER, AND COPPER RIVER
DISTRICT) FINFISH FISHERIES; SOUTHEAST AND YAKUTAT FINFISH FISHERIES;
CRAB, SHRIMP, AND MISCELLANEOUS SHELLFISH FISHERIES FOR ALL REGIONS
STATEWIDE INCLUDING SOUTHEAST, YAKUTAT, PRINCE WILLIAMS SOUND,
COOK INLET, KODIAK, WESTWARD, AND ARCTIC; AND STATEWIDE SHELLFISH
GENERAL PROVISIONS OR OTHER POSSIBLE SUPPLEMENTAL ISSUES,
INCLUDING ISSUANCE OF BOARD FINDINGS, DELEGATIONS OF AUTHORITY
FROM THE BOARD OF FISHERIES, OR HATCHERY PERMITTING AND
OPERATIONS:

A. In the commercial, sport, guided sport, personal use, and aquatic plant fisheries:
fishing seasons, periods, and opening and closing times; bag, possession, size, sex, age,
and harvest limits; harvest levels, thresholds, goals, and quotas; definitions; bycatch
provisions; districts, subdistricts, sections, subsections, areas, and other management
boundaries; locations open and closed to fishing; methods and means; gear and vessel
restrictions, including marking and operational requirements; registration and permit
requirements; registration areas (including nonexclusive, exclusive and superexclusive
registration areas); recordkeeping and marking requirements; management plans for
conservation and development, including escapement, inriver, and other management
goals; landing requirements; provisions for development and allocation among beneficial
uses; guiding principles; provisions to regulate, require, restrict or prohibit the retention,
tendering, transportation, dispatch, possession, sale, release, or purchase of fish; methods
of release; registration, licensing, reporting, and other requirements for sport fishing
guides and operators, guided anglers, catchers, processors, buyers, and transporters;
onboard observer requirements; fish storage and inspection requirements.

B. In the subsistence fisheries: identification or modification of customary and traditional
subsistence uses and amounts reasonably necessary for subsistence; fishing seasons,
periods, and opening and closing times; bag, possession, size, sex, age, and harvest limits;
definitions; districts, subdistricts, sections, subsections, areas, and other management
boundaries; locations open and closed to fishing; methods and means; gear and vessel
restrictions, including marking and operational requirements; registration and permit
requirements; recordkeeping and marking requirements; management plans for
conservation and development, including escapement, inriver, and other management
goals; regulations for the subsistence priority; landing requirements; provisions for
development and allocation among beneficial uses and users, including creating and
regulating tier II fisheries; guiding principles; otherwise establish, regulate, change, or
adjust subsistence fisheries.

2. OTHER CHANGES TO TITLE 5 AS NECESSARY TO ACCOMMODATE ANY
CHANGES TO TITLE 5 AS DESCRIBED ABOVE SUCH AS CROSS REFERENCES
OR OTHER AFFECTED FISHERIES.

3. IN ADDITION TO THE CHANGES MENTIONED ABOVE, THE BOARD ACCEPTED
FOUR AGENDA CHANGE REQUESTS (ACRs) AT ITS OCTOBER 29-30, 2024,
WORKSESSION, AND ADDED THOSE AS PROPOSALS TO THE BOARD’S
MARCH 11-16, 2025, MEETING IN ANCHORAGE:

A. Increase the season dates and weekly fishing periods for dip net gear under the
Kenai River Late-run King Salmon Stock of Concern Management Plan (5 AAC
21.382). Proposal 312, formerly ACR 4.

B. Add set beach seine nets as legal gear under the Kenai River Late-run King Salmon
Stock of Concern Management Plan (5 AAC 21.382). Proposal 313, formerly ACR 8.

C. Create a Kvichak River Special Harvest Area to allow harvest of Kvichak River
sockeye salmon while conserving Naknek River sockeye salmon (5 AAC 06.XXX).
Proposal 314, formerly ACR 11.

D. Allow CFEC salmon set gillnet permit holders who form a joint venture in the
Central Section of the Northwest Kodiak District to operate 25 fathoms additional
set gillnet gear (5 AAC 18.331). Proposal 315, formerly ACR 14.

The proposed regulation changes are available on the Board of Fisheries meeting information website at https://boardoffisheries.adfg.alaska.gov or from the ADF&G Boards Support Section office at (907) 465-4110.

Anyone interested in, or affected by, the subject matter contained in this legal notice should make written or oral comments to have their views considered by the board. You may comment on the proposed regulation changes, including the potential costs to the private persons of complying with the proposed changes, by submitting written comments by the announced deadlines listed below, limited to no more than 100 single-sided or 50 double-sided pages.

Comments can be submitted on these proposals through the Board of Fisheries website at https://boardoffisheries.adfg.alaska.gov and navigating to the page for each specific meeting. The board does not accept written comments sent via email. Comments can also be sent by mail to ADF&G, Boards Support Section, at P.O. Box 115526, Juneau, AK 99811-5526 or by facsimile to (907) 465-6094.

The specific comment deadline for each meeting is listed below. Individuals and advisory committees directing public comment at an ADF&G office or personnel other than as prescribed above are advised that such comments will not be received and entered as public comment.

ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT STANDARD:

Once the meetings begin, comments will again be accepted online at https://boardoffisheries.adfg.alaska.gov, by hand delivery at the meeting, or via fax to 907-465-6094. Comments submitted during the meetings are limited to ten single-sided pages until proposal deliberations begin. At that time, the board will ONLY accept written comments that are not more than five single-sided pages unless specific information is requested by the board that requires more pages than allowed under this standard.

As a practical matter, comments submitted after the board begins deliberations on relevant proposals are likely to receive less consideration than comments submitted earlier. Additionally, groups of people submitting numerous, form-like comments containing similar language during the meeting is not advisable, and Boards staff will be unable to process and distribute the comments to the board during the meeting. These types of comments will be grouped together or summarized for the board in a single submission.

Each meeting will generally start at 8:30 a.m. on the first day of the meeting dates below unless the board directs a different start time. The public oral testimony period of each regulatory meeting begins after staff reports and continues until everyone who has registered before the cut-off time which will be announced by the board chair at each meeting. The length of oral statements may be limited to three minutes or less for the public and 10 minutes or less for fish and game advisory committee and regional advisory council representatives. Updates related to public testimony and submitting public comments will be provided via advisory announcement closer to the start of each meeting. Please watch the board’s website for any updates or sign up to receive announcements via email at https://boardoffisheries.adfg.alaska.gov.

Beginning in late 2023, the board created a process to receive Traditional Knowledge reports. The board endeavors to incorporate traditional knowledge by seeking and inviting traditional knowledge holders recognized by their community, tribe, or by an organization whose interests encompass the conservation, protection, restoration, or enhancement of fishery resources, to share their experiences, values, alternative and/or independent observations and data collections directly with the board.

Per the board’s policy #2024-305-FB, the board considers Traditional Knowledge to be knowledge, or a way of knowing, that is unique to a given culture or society, and, often through language, encompasses a worldview that defines specific relationships between humans and nonhuman attributes of the world. As knowledge that derives from both personal and the cumulative experiences of one’s forbearers, it is grounded in generational knowledge but also subject to change and refinement. It is characterized by a long time scale. It is usually local in scale and often provides a counterpoint to more broad-based, scientifically produced knowledge.

Communities, tribes, or organizations interested in providing a Traditional Knowledge report to the board must provide their nomination to the board’s executive director at least three days prior to the start of each regulatory meeting. For more information, contact Art Nelson at art.nelson@alaska.gov or (907) 267-2292.

TENTATIVE MEETING SCHEDULE

Prince William Sound and Upper Copper/Upper Susitna Finfish and Shellfish (except shrimp)
December 10–16, 2024
The Cordova Center, Cordova
Comment deadline: November 26, 2024

Southeast and Yakutat Finfish and Shellfish
January 28–February 9, 2025
Ted Ferry Civic Center, Ketchikan
Comment deadline: January 14, 2025

Statewide Shellfish (including PWS shrimp)
March 11 – March 16, 2025
Egan Convention Center, Anchorage
Comment deadline: February 25, 2025

Any changes to meeting locations, dates or times, or rescheduling of topics or subject matter will be announced by news release. Please watch for these announcements in the news media or call (907) 465-4110. Please carefully review the PROPOSAL INDEX available for specific proposals to be addressed by the board. Copies of the proposal indices are in the proposal book, available online at https://boardoffisheries.adfg.alaska.gov, and at the relevant meeting. Any additional proposals will be noticed and made available online and upon request.

Anyone interested in or affected by subsistence, personal use, commercial fishing, sport, guided sport, or aquatic plant regulations are hereby informed that the Board of Fisheries may consider any or all of the subject areas covered by this notice. Under AS 44.62.200(b), the board may review the full range of activities appropriate to any of the subjects listed in this notice. The board may make changes to the subsistence, personal use, sport, guided sport or commercial fishing regulations, ensuring the subsistence priority in AS 16.05.258 is upheld. THE BOARD IS NOT LIMITED BY THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE OR CONFINES OF THE ACTUAL PROPOSALS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED BY THE PUBLIC OR ADF&G. The language of the final regulations may be different from that of the proposed regulations to conform with regulatory drafting standards and accurately capture the board’s intent. YOU SHOULD COMMENT DURING THE TIME ALLOWED IF YOUR INTERESTS COULD BE AFFECTED.

If you are a person with a disability who needs special accommodation in order to participate in the proposed regulation process, please contact Art Nelson at (907) 267-2292 no later than two weeks prior to the beginning of each meeting to ensure necessary accommodations can be provided.

The ADF&G, Boards Support Section keeps a list of individuals and organizations interested in receiving emails for regulatory changes and board activities. Those on the list will automatically be emailed a copy of all of the board’s notices of proposed regulation changes. To be added to the list, visit the website at https://boardoffisheries.adfg.alaska.gov or contact ADF&G Boards Support Section at (907) 465-4110.

Individuals can also signup to receive automated notifications of all State of Alaska notices, including public notice for regulation changes, by subscribing to the Alaska Online Public Notices System here: https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Default.aspx.

Statutory Authority: AS 16.05 – AS 16.20, AS 16.40

Statutes Being Implemented, Interpreted, or Made Specific: AS 16.05 – AS 16.20, AS 16.40

Fiscal Information: The proposed regulatory actions are not expected to require an increased appropriation.