5 AAC 77.628 - Personal use salmon fishery

(a) Salmon may only be taken under the authority of a personal use fishing permit.

(b) The department shall adhere to the following when issuing personal use salmon fishing permits:

(1) the fishing effort must be allowed in places and during times when resource abundance will allow a harvest without jeopardizing the sustained yield of the stock and in a manner which provides for an orderly fishery;

(2) a permit is valid for the entire season in which it is issued;

(3) the department may require the permit holder to report daily harvests on the catch calendar which accompanies the permit.

(c) The department will not issue a permit for the taking of king salmon, but king salmon taken incidentally by gear operated under the terms of a personal use permit for other salmon are legally taken and possessed for personal use purposes. The holder of a personal use salmon permit shall report any king salmon taken in this manner on that permit holder's permit calendar. The possession limit for king salmon is two fish, and king salmon taken in excess of this limit must be released without further harm.

(d) Salmon, trout, or char taken incidentally by gear operated under the terms of a personal use permit for salmon are legally taken and possessed for personal use purposes. A holder of a personal use permit shall report any salmon, trout, or char taken in this manner on the permit holder's permit calendar.

(e) The total annual limit of sockeye salmon for a personal use salmon fishing permit is 15 salmon for a household of one person and 25 salmon for a household of two or more persons. The total annual limit of coho salmon for a personal use salmon fishing permit is 15 salmon for a household of one person and 25 salmon for a household of two or more persons. The total annual limit of king salmon for a personal use salmon fishing permit is two salmon.

(f) No person may possess personal use-taken and sport-taken salmon on the same day.

(g) A gillnet used for personal use fishing may not exceed 50 fathoms in length, and may not block more than two-thirds of any stream width and any channel or side channel of a stream.

(h) Salmon may not be taken by means of a line attached to a rod or pole.

(i) Salmon may be taken by set gillnets only. A personal use fishing permit holder shall attend the permit holder's gillnet at all times while it is in operation.

(j) Salmon may be taken only during periods open to subsistence fishing from July 1 through September 30, and only in Yakutat Bay and in waters upstream from the terminus of streams and rivers in the Yakutat Area which are open to commercial fishing, except as may be restricted under the terms of a personal use fishing permit.

(k) Salmon or trout taken for personal use or under personal use regulations may not be subsequently used as bait for commercial fishing purposes.

Notes

5 AAC 77.628

Eff. 6/25/89, Register 110; am 4/1/94, Register 129; am 12/1/2004, Register 172; am 8/23/2009, Register 191; am 7/1/2015, Register 214, July 2015

Authority:AS 16.05.251