Author Topic: NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES REGULATIONS OF THE ALASKA BOARD OF FISHERIES  (Read 3069 times)

mudbrook

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NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE

REGULATIONS OF THE ALASKA BOARD OF FISHERIES

 

The Alaska Board of Fisheries proposes to adopt, amend, or repeal regulations contained in Title 5 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with fishery and aquatic plant resources in the areas designated below, including the following:

 

PACIFIC COD FOR PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, COOK INLET, KODIAK, CHIGNIK, AND SOUTH ALASKA PENINSULA COMMERCIAL FISHERIES; PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND AND UPPER COPPER RIVER/UPPER SUSITNA RIVER FINFISH; SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA AND YAKUTAT KING AND TANNER CRAB, DUNGENESS CRAB, SHRIMP, AND MISCELLANEOUS SHELLFISH; SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA AND YAKUTAT FINFISH; STATEWIDE DUNGENESS CRAB, SHRIMP AND MISCELLANEOUS SHELLFISH FISHERY REGULATIONS:

 

A. In the commercial, sport, and guided sport fisheries: fishing seasons, periods, opening and closing times; bag, possession, size, sex, and harvest limits, harvest levels, thresholds, or quotas; bycatch provisions; districts, subdistricts, sections, subsections, areas, and other management boundaries; locations open and closed to fishing; methods and means; gear and vessel restrictions, marking, definitions, operational requirements, registration and permit requirements and limitations; registration areas (including exclusive and super exclusive registration areas), permits, harvest records, harvest marking requirements; management plans for conservation, development and allocation among beneficial uses; guiding principles; require, restrict or prohibit the retention, tendering, sale, release, or purchase of fish; methods of release; registration and reporting requirements for fish guides, guided anglers, catchers, processors, buyers and transporters; onboard observer requirements; fish storage and inspection requirements.

 

B. In the subsistence, and personal use fisheries (finfish and shellfish): identify subsistence uses and users; fishing seasons, periods, opening and closing times, harvest levels; methods and means; size, age, and sex limitations; districts, subdistricts, sections, subsections, areas, and other management boundaries; locations open and closed to fishing; gear and vessel restrictions and operational requirements; harvest limits, registration and permit requirements, requirements for marking and possession of fish; management plans for conservation, development and allocation among beneficial uses, and users; identify customary and traditional uses of fish stocks, and establish, change or adjust subsistence and personal use fisheries.

 

For a copy of the proposed regulation changes contact the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Boards Support Section, P.O. Box 115526, Juneau, AK 99811-5526, tel. (907) 465-4110 or go to the internet at: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fisheriesboard.main

 

You may comment on the regulation changes, including the potential costs to the private persons of complying with the proposed changes, by submitting written comments limited to no more than 100 single sided or 50 double sided pages to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Boards Support Section, P.O. Box 115526, Juneau, AK 99811-5526, or by fax to (907) 465-6094, so that the comments will be received no later than two weeks prior to the meeting during which the topic will be considered.  Unless otherwise specifically specified for a particular meeting in a published notice, written comment over 100 single sided or 50 double sided pages in length from any one individual or group relating to proposals at any one meeting will not be accepted. Written comments limited to 10 single sided or 5 double sided pages in length from any one individual or group will also be accepted after the two-week deadline, but will not be inserted in board member workbooks until the beginning of the meeting.  During the meeting written comments limited to 10 single sided or 5 double sided pages in length from any one individual or group may be submitted by hand delivery at any time if 25 copies are provided; but, as a practical matter comments submitted after the board begins deliberations on relevant proposals are likely to receive less consideration than comments submitted earlier.  Oral comments may also be presented as explained below.

 

There will be five separate regulatory meetings.  Each meeting will start at 8:30 a.m. on the dates noted below.  The public hearing portions for each regulatory meeting will begin immediately after staff reports and continue until everyone who has signed up and is present has been given the opportunity to be heard.  Additional public hearings with Board Committees may be held throughout the meeting before consideration and adoption of proposed changes in the regulations for the various areas.  An agenda will be posted daily during the meeting.

 

The board will take oral testimony only from those who register before the cut-off time announced by the board chair at each regulatory meeting.  The length of oral statements may be limited to five minutes or less.  Anyone interested in, or affected by, the subject matter contained in this legal notice should make written or oral comments if they wish to have their views considered by the board.

 
TENTATIVE MEETING SCHEDULE

Work Session:  agenda change requests, cycle organization, stocks of concern

October 4-5, 2011

Coast International Inn, 3450 Aviation Ave, Anchorage, AK

 

Pacific Cod for Prince William Sound, Cook Inlet, Kodiak, Chignik, and South Alaska Peninsula Commercial Fisheries

October 6-10, 2011

Coast International Inn, 3450 Aviation Ave, Anchorage, AK

 

Prince William Sound and Upper Copper River/Upper Susitna River Finfish

December 2-7, 2011

Convention & Civic Center, 212 Chenega Ave., Valdez, AK

 

Southeastern Alaska and Yakutat King and Tanner Crab, Dungeness

Crab, Shrimp, and Miscellaneous Shellfish

January 15-21, 2012

Sons of Norway, 23 Sing Lee Alley, Petersburg, AK

 

Southeastern Alaska and Yakutat Finfish

February 24-March 4, 2012

Ted Ferry Civic Center, 888 Venetia Way, Ketchikan, AK

 

Statewide Dungeness Crab, Shrimp, and Miscellaneous Shellfish

(except Southeastern and Yakutat) and Supplemental Issues

March 20-23, 2012

Hilton Hotel, 500 West Third Avenue, Anchorage, AK

Any changes to meeting locations, dates or times, or rescheduling of topics or subject matter will be announced by news release.  Please watch for these announcements in the news media or call (907) 465-4110. Please carefully review the PROPOSAL INDEX available for the meeting for specific proposal issues to be addressed by the board.  Copies of the proposal indices are in the proposal book or at the relevant meeting.

 

Anyone interested in or affected by subsistence, personal use, sport, guided sport or commercial fishing regulations, is hereby informed that, by publishing this legal notice, the Board of Fisheries may consider any or all of the subject areas covered by this notice.  Pursuant to AS 44.62.200(b), the board may review the full range of activities appropriate to any of the subjects listed in this notice. The board may make changes to the personal use, sport, guided sport or commercial fishing regulations as may be required to ensure the subsistence priority in AS 16.05.258.  On its own motion, after public hearing, the board may adopt, amend, reject, supplement, or take no action on these subjects without further notice.  In addition, the board may adopt other regulations necessary to implement, administer, or enforce the regulations adopted.  THE BOARD IS NOT LIMITED BY THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE OR CONFINES OF THE ACTUAL PROPOSALS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED BY THE PUBLIC OR STAFF.  The language of the final regulations may be different from that of the proposed regulations.  YOU SHOULD COMMENT DURING THE TIME ALLOWED IF YOUR INTERESTS COULD BE AFFECTED.

 

If you are a person with a disability who may need a special accommodation in order to participate in the process on the proposed regulations, please contact Monica Wellard at (907) 465-4110 no later than two weeks prior to the beginning of each meeting to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.

 

Statutory Authority:  AS 16.05 - AS 16.20, AS 16.40

Statutes being implemented, interpreted, or made specific:  AS 16.05 - AS 16.020, AS 16.40

Fiscal Information:  The proposed regulatory actions are not expected to require an increased appropriation.

 

Date: 8/26/11________________                                                                         

                                                                        Monica Wellard, Executive Director

                                                                        Alaska Board of Fisheries

 

ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS NOTICE INFORMATION

(AS 44.62.190(d))

 

1.         Adopting Agency:  Alaska Board of Fisheries.

 

2.         General subject of regulations:  PACIFIC COD FOR PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, COOK INLET, KODIAK, CHIGNIK, AND SOUTH ALASKA PENINSULA COMMERCIAL FISHERIES; PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND AND UPPER COPPER RIVER/UPPER SUSITNA RIVER FINFISH; SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA AND YAKUTAT KING AND TANNER CRAB, DUNGENESS CRAB, SHRIMP, AND MISCELLANEOUS SHELLFISH; SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA AND YAKUTAT FINFISH; STATEWIDE DUNGENESS CRAB, SHRIMP AND MISCELLANEOUS SHELLFISH FISHERY REGULATIONS

 

3.         Citation of regulations:  5 AAC 01 - 5 AAC 77.

 

4.         Reason for proposed actions:  Implement, interpret, or make specific the provisions of AS 16.05 - AS 16.20.

 

5.         Program category and RDU affected:  Natural Resources and all RDUs.

 

6.         Cost of implementation to the state agency and available funding:  It is not possible to estimate the costs.  However, these actions are not expected to require any additional costs.

 

7.         The name of the contact person for the regulations:

 

                        Monica Wellard, Executive Director

                        Alaska Board of Fisheries

                        PO Box 115526

                        Juneau, AK  99811-5526

                        (907) 465-4110

                        Email: monica.wellard@alaska.gov

 

8.         The origin of the proposed action:

            [X]       staff or state agency

            [X]       general public

 

9.         Date:  August 26, 2011                                   Prepared by:   

                                                                        Monica Wellard, Executive Director

                                                                        Alaska Board of Fisheries

                                                                        (907) 465-4110

 

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