Se Alaksa King Salmon Season In For Tough Times

SPORT FISHING Emergency Order ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH & GAME Under Authority of AS 16.05.060 Emergency Order No. 1 - KS - R - 0 2 - 1 3 . Issued at Sitka , Thursday , April 4 , 201 3 . Effective Date: 12:01 A.M. Monday , April 8 , 201 3 . Expiration Date: 11:59 P.M. Wednesday , April 30, 201 4 unless superseded by subsequent emergency order. EXPLANATION : This emergency order rescinds Emergency Order 1 - KS - R - 02 - 12, issued March 29, 2012, and establishes resident and nonresident king salmon bag and possession limits and nonresident harvest limits for Southeast Alaska king salmon sport fishery. The Southeast Alaska King Salmon Management P lan stipulates the king salmon sport fish bag and possession limits and any other management measures will be based upon the preseason king salmon abundance index as determined by the Chinook Technical Committee of the Pac ifi c Salmon Commission. The abundance index for the 201 3 season is 1. 20 , which , according to the plan , requires that the bag limit will be one king salmon 28 inches or greater in length . T he nonres ident harvest limit will be three king salmon 28 inches in length from January 1 through June 30; two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length from July 1 t hrough July 15; and one king salmon 28 inches or greater in length July 16 through December 31 . In addition a resident may use two rods from October th rough March. REGULATION : Emergency Order 1 - KS - R - 02 - 12 is rescinded, and c onsistent with stipulations within 5 AAC 47.055 Southeast Alaska King Salmon Management Plan , t he provisions of 5 AAC 47 . 020 (20 ) ar e added by this emergency order . Under this emergency order , the following provisions are e ffective from 12:01 A.M . Monday April 8 , 2013 through 11:59 P.M. Wednesday , April 30, 201 4: 5 AAC 47.020 General provisions for seasons and bag, possession, annual, and size limits for the salt waters of the Southeast Alaska Area. (20 ) king salmon: (A) The bag and possession limit is one king salmon 28 inches or greater in length ; (B) From January 1 through June 30, a nonresident’s harvest limit is three king salmon 28 inches or greater in length; (C) From July 1 through July 15, a nonresident’s harvest limit is two king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length, and any king salmon harvested by the nonresident from January 1 through June 30 will apply toward the two fish harvest limit; (D) From July 16 through December 31 , a nonresident’s harvest limit is one king salmon 28 inches or greater in length, and any king salmon harvested by the nonresident from January 1 through July 15 will apply toward the one fish harvest limit. (E) Immediately upon landing and retaini ng a king salmon nonresidents must enter the species, date and location, in ink, on the back of their sport fishing license or harvest record. Emergency Ord er Number 1 - KS - R - 02 - 13 April 4 , 2013 Page 2 of 2 (F) from October through March; a resident sport fish angler may use two rods when fishing for king salmon; a reside nt using two rods may only retain king salmon. Cora Campbell Commissioner By delegation to: Bob Chadwick Regional Management Coordinator JUSTIFICATION : The Southeast Alaska king salmon sport fishery is managed under provisions of the Southeast Alaska King Salmon Management Plan (5 AAC 47.055). This plan prescribes management measures implemented by the department for the king salmon sport fishery based upon the preseason abun dance index determined by the Chinook Technical Committee of the Pacific Salmon Commission. The preseason abun dance index for the 201 3 season is 1. 20 which equates to 32 , 466 king salmon allocated to the sport fishery. Given this harvest guideline, the plan provides for implementing a bag limit of one king salmon 28 inches or greater in length ; a nonresident harvest limit that decrease s from three to one fish during the season ; and the opportunity for resident anglers to use two rods fro m October through March; These regulations are anticipated to be in effe ct for the remainder of the 201 3 season and extend into the 201 4 season . PREVIOUS EMERGENCY ORDERS AFFECTED : Emergency Order 1 - KS - R - 02 - 12 established resident and nonresident king salmon bag and possession limits, nonresident king salmon annual limits and established a time frame for the use of two rods as per the Southeast Alaska King Salmon Management plan based on the 2012 abundance index. DISTRIBUTION : The dist ribution list for this emergency order is on file at the Region 1 Office of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Sport Fish, P. O. Box 110024, Douglas, AK 99811 , (907) 747 - 5551 .