5 AAC 35.408 - Registration Area H Tanner crab harvest strategy

(a) The provisions of this section establish abundance thresholds for the Tanner crab fisheries in the Southern, Kamishak, and Barren Island Districts of Cook Inlet.

(b) In the Southern District, the minimum stock threshold for the commercial fishery is 1,000,000 legal male Tanner crab. If the commercial fishery has been closed for three or more consecutive years, then the estimated abundance of legal male Tanner crab from the Kacliemak Bay trawl survey must be greater than or equal to 1,000,000 crab for two or more years before the commercial fishery may reopen. The commercial Tanner crab fishery will open only under the following conditions:

(1) if the estimated abundance level of legal male Tanner crab is 2,000,000 crab or greater, the commercial fishery will open to harvest Tanner crab at a rate, in combination with the noncommercial fisheries, not to exceed 25 percent of the estimated abundance level of legal male Tanner crab;

(2) if the estimated abundance level of legal male Tanner crab is 1,000,000, but less than 2,000,000 crab, the commercial Tanner crab fishery will open to harvest Tanner crab at a rate, in combination with the noncommercial fisheries, not to exceed 15 percent of the estimated abundance level of legal male Tanner crab;

(3) the commercial fishery may not open if

(A) the estimated abundance level of legal male Tanner crab is below 1,000,000 crab;

(B) attainment of the guideline harvest level would cause legal male Tanner crab abundance to fall below 1,000,000 crab; or

(C) the estimated harvest capacity, calculated by the number of registered vessels multiplied by the legal pot limit, and the estimated catch rate exceeds the guideline harvest level during a commercial fishery of a minimum 12-hour duration;

(4) repealed 9/12/2008;

(5) repealed 9/12/2008.

(c) In the Kamishak and Barren Islands Districts, combined, the minimum stock threshold for the commercial fishery is 4,000,000 legal male Tanner crab. If the commercial fishery has been closed for three or more consecutive years, then the estimated abundance of legal male Tanner crab from the Kamishak Bay trawl survey must be greater than or equal to 1,000,000 crab for two or more years before the commercial fishery may reopen. The commercial fishery will open only under the following conditions:

(1) if the estimated abundance level of legal male Tanner crab is 8,000,000 crab or greater, Tanner crab may be harvested at a rate, in combination with the noncommercial fisheries, not to exceed 25 percent of the estimated abundance level of legal male Tanner crab;

(2) if the abundance level of legal male Tanner crab is at least 4,000,000, but less than 8,000.000 crab, Tanner crab may be harvested at a rate, in combination with the noncommercial fisheries, not to exceed 15 percent of the estimated abundance level of legal male Tanner crab;

(3) the commercial fishery may not open if

(A) the estimated abundance level of legal male Tanner crab is below 4,000,000 crab;

(B) the attainment of the guideline harvest level would cause the abundance of legal male Tanner crab to fall below 4,000.,0(H) crab; or

(C) the estimated harvest capacity, calculated as the number of registered vessels multiplied by the legal pot limit and estimated catch rates, exceeds the guideline harvest level for a fishery of a minimum 24-hour duration.

(d) The noncommercial Tanner crab fisheries in the Cook Inlet Area will be managed as provided in 5 AAC 58.022(11)(A) and 5 AAC 02.325(a) when the most recent consecutive three-year average of legal male stock abundance estimated from the Kachemak Bay trawl survey is greater than or equal to 200,000 crab and the annual estimate for the most recent year is at least 100,000 crab. The harvest rate is not expected to exceed an proximately 10 percent of legal male Tanner crab abundance managed under this section.

(e) The noncommercial Tanner crab fisheries in the Cook Inlet Area will be managed as provided in 5 AAC 58.022(11KB) and 5 A AC 02.325(b) in the absence of a trawl survey or if the most recent consecutive three-year average of legal male stock abundance estimated from the Kachemak Bay trawl survey is less than 200,000 crab or the annual estimate for the most recent year is below 100,000 crab. The harvest rate is not expected to exceed approximately 10 percent of legal male Tanner crab abundance managed under this section.

Notes

5 AAC 35.408

Eff. 8/24/2002, Register 163; am 9/12/2008, Register 187; am 6/27/2014, Register 210, July 2014; am 7/22/2017,Register 223, October 2017; am 6/21/2020, Register 234, July 2020

Authority:AS 16.05.251