NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE
REGULATIONS OF THE ALASKA BOARD OF FISHERIES
The Alaska Board of Fisheries (board) proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 5 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with the Pacific cod fisheries in all fishery management areas in Alaska, including the following:
A. In the commercial, sport, guided sport, and personal use 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 and limitations, registration and permit requirements; registration areas (including nonexclusive, exclusive, and superexclusive registration areas), permits, harvest record, harvest marking requirements; management plans for conservation, development, and allocation among beneficial uses; 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; and fish storage and inspection requirements.
B. In the subsistence fisheries: 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; harvest permits; management plans for conservation, development, and allocation among beneficial uses, and users; classification of Tier I and Tier II fisheries; identify customary and traditional uses of fish stocks, determine amounts reasonably necessary for subsistence uses, and establish, change or adjust subsistence 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: www.boardoffisheries.adfg.alaska.gov.
You may comment on the proposed regulation changes, including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the proposed changes, by submitting written public 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, or electronic submission at www.boardoffisheries.adfg.alaska.gov so that the comments are received no later than 5:00 p.m. on September 25, 2013. Written public comments over 100 single-sided or 50 double-sided pages in length from any one individual or group relating to proposals at the meeting will not be accepted. Written public comments limited to 10 single-sided or five double-sided pages in length from any one individual or group will also be accepted after the September 25, 2013, but will not be inserted in board member workbooks until the beginning of the meeting, and will only be accepted until the board begins deliberation of proposals.
NEW PUBLIC COMMENT STANDARD: Once deliberation of proposals begin at the board meeting, the board will ONLY accept written public comments that are not more than five single-sided pages, or the equivalent double-sided pages, unless specific information is requested by the board that requires more pages than allowed under this standard.
During the meeting, written public comments from any one individual or group may be submitted by hand delivery at any time if 27 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.
The meeting will start at 8:30 a.m. on the first day of the meeting dates noted below. The public hearing portion for the 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 the regulatory meeting. The length of oral statements may be limited to five minutes or less for private persons and 15 minutes or less for Fish and Game advisory committee representatives. 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
Statewide Pacific Cod
October 18–22, 2013
Hilton Anchorage, 500 West Third, Anchorage, AK
Any change to the meeting location, date or time, 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 review the PROPOSAL INDEX for a list of the specific proposals to be addressed by the board at the Statewide Pacific Cod meeting. Copies of the proposal index are in the proposal book and are available online at: http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/.
Anyone interested in or affected by subsistence, personal use, sport, guided sport, or commercial Pacific cod fishing regulations, is hereby informed that, by publishing this legal notice, the Alaska 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 subsistence 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 the Boards Support Section at (907) 465-4110 no later than October 4, 2013 to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.
Statutory Authority: AS 16.05.251; AS 16.05.258; AS 16.10.125; AS 16.10.165; AS 16.10.190
Statutes being implemented, interpreted, or made specific: AS 16.05 – AS 16.10
Fiscal Information: The proposed regulatory actions are not expected to require an increased appropriation.
Date: August 28, 2013 _____________________________
Kristy Tibbles, Executive Director
Alaska Board of Game
ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS NOTICE INFORMATION
(AS 44.62.190(d))
1. Adopting Agency: Alaska Board of Fisheries.
2. General subject of regulations: ALL PACIFIC COD FISHERIES STATEWIDE
3. Citation of regulations: 5 AAC 01, 28, 47 – 77.
4. Reason for proposed actions: Implement, interpret, or make specific the provisions of AS 16.05 – AS 16.10.
5. Department of Law file number, if any: JU2013200532
- 6. Appropriation/Allocation: Natural Resources and all RDUs.
7. 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.
8. The name of the contact person for the regulations:
Kristy Tibbles
Executive Director
PO Box 115526
Juneau, AK 99811-5526
(907) 465-4110
Email: kristy.tibbles@alaska.gov
9. The origin of the proposed action:
[X] staff or state agency
[X] general public
10. Date: August 23, 2013 Prepared by: _______________________________
Kristy Tibbles, Executive Director
Alaska Board of Game
(907) 465-4110