Section 5 AAC 56.130 - Anchor River, Deep Creek, and Ninilchik River king salmon sport fishery management plan(a) The purpose of this management plan is to direct the department in the management of the sport fishery for king salmon stocks in Anchor River, Deep Creek, and Ninilchik River, using the Anchor River preseason forecast and inseason projections from the Anchor River and Ninilchik River department monitoring projects of salmon.(b) The department shall manage the sport fisheries in each drainage to achieve the sustainable escapement goal (SEG) established for each of the three stocks while providing sustainable fishing opportunities and maximizing the harvest of hatchery king salmon. Additionally, the department shall manage the Ninilchik River to prioritize collecting naturally-produced king salmon as defined in 5 AAC 56.122(c)(4) and hatchery broodstock.(c) In Anchor River and Deep Creek, (1) the area, seasons, bag, possession, annual and size limits, and methods and means for king salmon are described in 5 AAC 56.122;(2) if the Anchor River preseason forecast is less than the lower end of the sustainable escapement goal of 3,200 - 6,400 fish, the department shall close the Anchor River and Deep Creek to sport fishing during the season as specified in 5 AAC 56.122(a)(2)(E) and (5)(D), and from July 1 - July 15;(3) if the Anchor River preseason forecast is greater than the lower end of the sustainable escapement goal of 3,200 - 6,400 fish and less than 4,800 fish, the department shall close the sport fishery for king salmon in the Anchor River and Deep Creek to the retention of king salmon and restrict gear to only one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure;(4) if the Anchor River preseason forecast is greater than 4,800 fish, the department may open the sport fishery for king salmon in the Anchor River and Deep Creek as described in 5 AAC 56.122;(5) if the Anchor River inseason projection is less than the lower end of the sustainable escapement goal of 3,200 - 6,400 fish after June 1, the department shall close the Anchor River and Deep Creek to sport fishing during the season as specified in 5 AAC 56.122(a)(2)(E) and (5)(D), and from July 1 - July 15;(6) if the Anchor River inseason projection is greater than the lower end of the sustainable escapement goal of 3,200 - 6,400 fish and less than 4,800 fish after June 1, the department shall close the Anchor River and Deep Creek to the retention of king salmon and restrict gear to only one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure;(7) if the Anchor River inseason projection is greater than 4,800 fish after June 1, the department may open the sport fishery for king salmon in the Anchor River and Deep Creek as described in 5 AAC 56.122.(d) In the Ninilchik River, (1) the area, seasons, bag, possession, annual and size limits, and methods and means for king salmon are described in 5 AAC 56.122;(2) the Ninilchik River is closed to the retention of naturally-produced king salmon as defined in 5 AAC 56.122(c)(4) until the inseason projection is greater than the number of naturally-produced king salmon needed to meet the SEG and broodstock collection goals of this section; if the projection is greater than the number of naturally-produced king salmon needed to meet the SEG and broodstock collection goals, the commissioner may liberalize the naturally-produced king salmon sport fishery by emergency order;(3) the commissioner may further liberalize or restrict the Ninilchik River hatchery king salmon sport fishery to provide more harvest opportunity or achieve the SEG and broodstock collection goals by emergency order.Eff. 4/28/2024, Register 250, July 2024Authority:AS 16.05.060
AS 16.05.251