Board Of Fisheries Seeking Public Comment on Dungeness, Groundfish Regulations
The following is courtesy of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Alaska Board of Fisheries:
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 September 12, 2022, 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 changes to the board’s meeting schedule and topics being added to the Board of Fisheries (board) schedule to be considered at the meeting noted:
At its October 25-26, 2022 Work Session, the board accepted three Agenda Change Requests and scheduled them as proposals to be considered at the January 14-18, 2023 meeting on Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Finfish issues, to be held at the Egan Civic and Convention Center, 555 W 5th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska. These supplemental proposals are:
Proposal 170 – Establish vessel and overall fishery pot limit for the North Peninsula District Dungeness crab fishery (formerly ACR 1).
Proposal 171 – Allow groundfish pots to be longlined in the Prince William Sound Area (formerly ACR 8).
Proposal 172 – Adopt gear marking requirements for longlined pot gear in the Prince William Sound Area (formerly ACR 9)
The full text of these proposals can be reviewed at:
Written comments on these supplemental proposals are encouraged to be submitted by December 30, 2022. However, written comments may also be submitted during the meeting. Comments can be submitted through the board’s website at http://www.boardoffisheries.adfg.alaska.gov. Written comments can also be mailed to: Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Boards Support Section, at P.O. Box 115526, Juneau, AK 99811-5526; or faxed to (907) 465-6094.
At the November 29–December 3, 2022 meeting on Bristol Bay Finfish issues, the board deferred action on proposals 11–13 and the draft Action Plan on Nushagak Chinook Salmon to the board’s March 2023 meeting on Statewide Finfish and Supplemental Issues. The board also extended the meeting by one day to accommodate these additional issues. The new meeting dates are March 10–14, 2023. The public can submit written comments as described above.
Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Finfish and Supplemental Issues
January 14-18, 2023
Egan Civic & Convention Center
555 W 5th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska
Comment deadline: December 30, 2022
Statewide Finfish and Supplemental Issues
March 10-14, 2023
Egan Civic & Convention Center
555 W 5th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska
Comment deadline: February 23, 2022
In addition to its regulatory meetings, the board scheduled a non-regulatory meeting of the Hatchery Committee on March 9, 2023 beginning at 8:30 am, located at the Egan Civic and Convention Center 555 W 5th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska.
Hatchery Committee
March 9, 2023
Egan Civic & Convention Center
555 W 5th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska
Comment deadline: February 22, 2022
All other provisions posted in the September 12, 2022 NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES remain the same, including the public comment period and tentative meeting schedule. However, the public is encouraged to check the meeting information website at http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fisheriesboard.meetinginfo for changes resulting from any proposals that may be deferred to the other board meetings.
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 limited to no more than 100 single-sided or 50 double-sided pages for each meeting through the board’s website at www.boardoffisheries.adfg.alaska.gov. Comments may also be submitted by mail sent to Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Boards Support Section, at P.O. Box 115526, Juneau, AK 99811-5526. Comments can also be submitted by facsimile to (907) 465-6094. Individuals and advisory committees directing public comment at an ADF&G office or personnel other than as prescribed above do not have assurance their comments will be received and entered as public comment. Written comments must be received no later than the deadlines listed above. Written comments exceeding the page limit will not be accepted. Written comments limited to 10 single-sided or 5 double-sided pages in length from any one individual or group are also accepted during the meetings and until the board begins proposal deliberations (for regulatory meetings). The Additional Public Comment Standard explained in the September 12, 2022, NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES also applies to these meetings.
The board takes in-person oral public testimony at its regulatory meetings and intends to do so for these meetings.
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 meeting to ensure necessary accommodations can be provided.
For a copy of the proposed regulation changes, or for a copy of the September 12, 2022, NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES, contact the ADF&G, 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
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 as may be required to ensure the subsistence priority in AS 16.05.258. On its own motion, after the public hearing, the board may adopt, amend, reject, supplement, or take no action on these subjects without further notice. In addition, the board may adopt other regulations necessary to implement, administer, or enforce the regulations adopted. 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. YOU SHOULD COMMENT DURING THE TIME ALLOWED IF YOUR INTERESTS COULD BE AFFECTED.
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: December 13, 2022
Art Nelson, Executive Director
Alaska Board of Fisheries
ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS NOTICE INFORMATION
(AS 44.62.190(g))
- Adopting Agency: Alaska Board of Fisheries.
- General subject of regulations: FINFISH IN THE BRISTOL BAY AREA, GROUNDFISH IN THE PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND AREA, SHELLFISH (DUNGENESS CRAB) IN THE NORTH ALASKA PENINSULA AREA.
- Citation of regulations: 5 AAC 01 – 5 AAC 77.
- Department of Law file number (if any):
- 2022200303 – Bristol Bay Finfish Board Meeting November 2022
- 2022200304 – Arctic/Yukon/Kuskokwim Finfish Board Meeting January 2023
- 2022200305 – AK Peninsula/Aleutians/Chignik Finfish Board Meeting February 2023
- 2022200306 – Statewide Finfish & Supplemental Issues Board Meeting March 2023
- Reason for proposed actions: Implement, interpret, or make specific the provisions of AS 16.05 – AS 16.20, AS 16.40.
- Appropriation/Allocation: Natural Resources and all RDUs
- Cost of implementation to the state agency and available funding: It is not possible to estimate the costs. However, these actions are not expected to require any additional costs.
- The name of the contact person for the regulations:
Art Nelson, Executive Director
Alaska Board of Fisheries
PO Box 115526
Juneau, AK 99811-5526
(907) 267-2292
Email: art.nelson@alaska.gov
- The origin of the proposed action:
[X] staff or state agency
[X] general public
- Date: December 13, 2022 Prepared by:
Art Nelson, Executive Director
Alaska Board of Fisheries
(907) 267-2292
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