5 AAC 58.040 - East Cook Inlet Razor Clam Sport Fishery Management Plan

(a) The purpose of this plan is to direct the department in the management of the sport razor clam fisheries in east Cook Inlet from the mouth of the Kenai River to the southernmost tip of the Homer Spit and to establish abundance thresholds for adult clams greater than or equal to 80 mm and stock productivity indices for the fisheries in the Clam Gulch and Ninilchik Areas.

(b) In the Clam Gulch Area from the mouth of the Kenai River south to the latitude of 60° 50.54' N. lat., and in the Ninilchik Area from the southernmost tip of the Homer Spit north to the latitude of 60° 50.54' N. lat.,

(1) if the estimated adult clam abundance is greater than or equal to the average 1989 - 2012 abundance, the adult clam recruitment replaces or exceeds harvest and natural mortality and the size composition index of the harvest is equal to the 1989 - 2012 average, then the fisheries will be managed as provided in 5 AAC 58.022(a)(14)(A) and 5 AAC 77.518(2)(A); the combined harvest rate of the sport and personal use fisheries are not expected to exceed 20 percent of the adult clam abundance;

(2) if the estimated adult clam abundance is greater than or equal to 50 percent of the average 1989 - 2012 abundance but the population does not meet the criteria outlined in (1) of this subsection, then razor clams may be taken from May 1 through September 30 and the bag and possession limits are the first 30 clams taken or possessed; the combined harvest rate of the sport and personal use fisheries is not expected to exceed 10 percent of the adult clam abundance.

Notes

5 AAC 58.040

Eff. 9/25/2022, Register 243, October 2022

Authority:AS 16.05.251