Fish News October 10th

Fish News
Oct. 10, 2012
Area M P.cod Issues To Be Addressed at BOF Oct. 2013 Meeting;
Summary of Today’s Votes at Board of Fisheries Work Session – ACRs
The latest news from the Alaska Board of Fisheries (BOF) today: the Board has decided to address all the Area M Pacific cod issues at a statewide P. cod meeting October 2013. That means that the meeting scheduled for Feb. 26 – March 3, 2013 will address salmon issues only.
A presentation from WASSIP is scheduled for tomorrow, Oct. 11, 2012 at 8:30 a.m. at the Egan Center in Anchorage. (The Board proceedings are available online, however, there have been technical difficulties during the last couple of days. The Board is trying to correct these problems.)
The Board voted on several ACRs (Agenda Change Requests) for the Westward Region Commercial Fisheries this afternoon. The Board votes were as follows:
ACR 5 – No Action – (Resulted in a board generated proposal. Will be voted on at BOF meeting Feb. 26 – March 3, 2013) Allow commercial salmon seine net depth in the Alaska Peninsula Area to be measured in feet and inches which would allow additional webbing to be attached beyond the current restriction of 350 meshes of 3.5 inches and 25 meshes at 7 inches. (5 AAC 09.332) Proposed by Corey Wilson, Justin Wilson and Alvin Newman.
 ACR 2 – Passed – Change the weather delay criteria for opening the Chignik District Tanner crab fishery from small craft advisory to gale force wind warning. (5 AAC 35.510(b)(2))
 ACR 12 – Passed – Change the weather delay criteria for opening the Chignik District Tanner crab fishery from small craft advisory to gale force wind warning. (5 AAC 35.510(b)(2))
ï‚· ACR 7 – Passed – Change the vessel size limit for the Registration Area O (Aleutian Islands Area) red king crab fishery, in state waters from 172 degrees W. long. to 179 degrees W. long., from 90 feet or less in overall length to less than 60 feet in overall length. (5 AAC 34.610(d))
 ACR 8 – Passed – Establish a pot limit of 10 pots per vessel fishing for red king crab near Adak Island in Registration Area O (Aleutian Islands Area). (5 AAC 34.625(x))
 ACR 13 – Failed – Remove super exclusive and exclusive vessel registration for state-waters Pacific cod fisheries in the Prince William Sound, Cook Inlet, Kodiak, Chignik and South Alaska Peninsula management areas. (5 AAC 28.267; 5 AAC 28.367; 5 AAC 28.467; 5 AAC 28.537; 6 AAC 28.577)
 ACR 15 – No Action – Change the Board of Fisheries’ meeting schedule to move Pacific cod issues in the Alaska Peninsula – Aleutian Islands areas so as not to conflict with the commercial fisheries. (5 AAC 96.600)
 ACR 16 – Failed – Change the opening date of the commercial Tanner crab season in the South Peninsula District of Registration Area J (Westward) from January 15 to January 3. (5 AAC 35.510©(1))