The Seine Management Plan is out. You can read the full plan here: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/FedAidPDFs/RIR.1J.2016.05.pdf
-The estimated Pink harvest is 34 million fish, the 10-year average is 37.4 million fish.
-277 permits fished in 2015 and 260 in 2014. The total number of permits is 315, and the 10-year average is 241 participants.
-The telephone message recording system for purse seine new releases has been canceled.
-New in 2016 will be a test fishery that could occur in various seine areas throughout the region. The primary intent will be to raise revenue to assist the department with costs of managing the fishery. The department will solicit bids for these test fisheries in May and June.
Scheduled Openings
-Sunday, June 19 will be the first opening consisting of a portion of lower District 2 lasting four days. There will also be a 15-hour opening at Hidden Falls and Point Augusta.
-Sunday, June 28 13C is scheduled to open for the first time.
-Sunday, July 3 District 1 and 3 are expected to open for 15-hours. District 4 is anticipated to open for 12-hours.
Opening and Closing Times
-From June 19-August 15, the opening and closing times will be 5:00am to 8:00pm
-August 16 through the end of the fishery, the opening and closing times will be 6:00am and 9:00pm
King Salmon
-4.3% of all-gear Treaty King salmon are allocated to the purse seine fishery, this is 15,291 fish in 2016. Purse seine fishermen will be allowed to sell King salmon over 28” until their allocation is reached.
-King salmon taken under 28” do not count against the King salmon harvest quota.
-King salmon over 21” but under 28” may be harvested, but not sold.
-King salmon below 21” may be harvested and sold.
Hatchery Returns
-Neets Bay expected run of 1,237,000 summer Chum, 250,000 fall Chum, 254,800 Coho, and 17,500 Kings.
-Anita Bay expects 387,000 summer Chum, 16,500 Kings, and 15,000 Coho.
-Kendrick Bay expects 868,000 summer Chum with peak catches in Statistical week 27-29
-Hidden Falls expects 1,433,000 Chum salmon with a tax assessment of 10 cents per pound of harvested Chum salmon from June 15 to July 31 to meet cost recovery. NSRAA will deploy observers to document participating vessels to enforce the tax assessment program. 90,000 fish will be taken for broodstock
-Deep Inlet expects 1,782,000 Chum, 31,200 King, and 62,00 Coho. Deep Inlet will probably close in early August to obtain 400,000 Chum for cost recovery. 190,000 will be taken for broodstock. Boundaries could be changed to resolve conflicts between fishermen and local private landowners in the area unhappy with wake to their private docks, loud noises, and bright lights.
-DIPAC anticipates a purse seine opening in Amalga Harbor.
New to the management plan:
Regulation Markers was amended to read:
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this title, commercial fishing for salmon is prohibited at all times in the waters of Alaska that are
(1) within the streams and rivers of this state;
(2) within 500 yards of the fresh waters of any salmon stream; and
(3) over the beds or channels of streams and rivers of this state during all stages of the tide.
Also added:
The points established for stream mouths listed in the Catalog of Waters Important for the Spawning, Rearing, or Migration of Anadromous Fishes under 5 AAC 95.011 do not apply to enforcement of this section or other regulations limiting the distance that commercial fishing may occur from the fresh waters of any salmon stream.
This was added to clarify that fishing is closed within 500 yards of fresh water of a salmon stream. This is a change. Previously, it was 500 yards from the midpoint of the river mouth as listed in the Anadromous Waters catalog.
The Anadromous Waters catalog and closed salmon streams can be found here: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/SARR/AWC/