Ketchikan…. the Alaska Department of Fish and Game today announced the following information concerning the Craig/Klawock spawn-on-kelp pound fishery.
The 2015/16 herring winter bait fishery in Section 3-B and District 4 had a final harvest of 898 tons of herring. The winter bait fishery was allocated 60% of the total GHL of 1,590 tons, or 954 tons. This means that 692 tons of herring will be used for the Macrocystis kelp allocation tables for the 2016 spawn-on-kelp fishery.
New regulatory changes will be in effect for the upcoming season that includes modifications to the kelp allocation table, revisions on how permit holders operate and join two separate closed pounds, a new depth to which the pound webbing must be lowered at time of herring release, and an increase in how long permit holders can hold herring in their pound structures.
The kelp allocation for pounds that will be in place for the 2016 season is as follows (5 AAC 27.185(c)): Single-Permit Closed Pounds: 300 blades;
Double-Permit Closed Pounds: 400 blades per permit;
Triple-Permit Closed Pounds: 700 blades per permit;
Quadruple-Permit Closed Pounds: 800 blades per permit; Single-Permit Open Pounds: 1,500 blades; Multiple-Permit Open Pounds: 4,500 blades per permit.
Spawn-on-kelp fishermen and processors should read the 2016 SOUTHEAST ALASKA HERRING SPAWN-ON-KELP POUND FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN for an overview of the management approach and regulations for the 2016 season. The plan is expected to be available by March 15. The 2015-2016 Statewide Commercial Herring Fishing Regulations booklet contains detailed regulations for this fishery and is available on the State of Alaska Fish and Game webpage.