5 AAC 03.001. Application of this chapter. Requirements set out in this chapter apply to commercial fishing only, unless otherwise specified. Subsistence, personal use, and sport fishing regulations affecting commercial fishing vessels or affecting any other commercial fishing activity are set out in the subsistence fishing regulations in 5 AAC 01 and 5 AAC 02, personal use fishing regulations in 5 AAC 77, and sport fishing regulations in 5 AAC 69 and 5 AAC 75.

5 AAC 03.100. Description of area. The Arctic-Kotzebue Area includes all waters of Alaska north of the latitude of the westernmost tip of Cape Prince of Wales and west of 141° W. long., including those waters draining into the Chukchi Sea and Arctic Ocean.

5 AAC 03.200. Fishing districts and subdistricts. (a) Repealed 7/16/92. (b) Kotzebue District: all waters of Alaska between the latitude of the westernmost tip of Point Hope and the latitude of the westernmost tip of Cape Prince of Wales, including those waters draining into the Chukchi Sea. (1) Subdistrict 1: all waters east of a line from the terminus of the Tukrok River to an ADF&G regulatory marker located approximately one mile offshore to a point approximately one mile off Cape Blossom to an ADF&G regulatory marker located approximately two miles off Riley Wreck to an ADF&G regulatory marker located on the west bank of Riley Creek at 66° 43' N. lat., 162° 19' W. long., and west of a line from a point one mile offshore from an ADF&G regulatory marker located on the north shore of Hotham Inlet at 67° 02' N. lat., 161° 59' W. long. to a point one mile offshore from an ADF&G regulatory marker located on the northern shore of the Baldwin Peninsula near the terminus of Singigrachak Creek at 66° 50.50' N. lat., 162° 11' W. long.; (2) Subdistrict 2: waters at the mouth of the Noatak River inside a triangle defined by three points: the first point is located at the outlet of a small slough on the east side of the Noatak River at 66° 59.68' N. lat., 162° 20.75' W. long.; the second point is located at 66° 58.30' N. lat., 162° 30.50' W. long. on the mud bar forming the western bank of the Noatak River; the third and southern point of the triangle is located on that same mud bar at 66° 57.20' N. lat., 162° 30.80' W. long. (approximately in line with the tip of Pipe Spit and Lockhart Point); (3) Subdistrict 3: all remaining waters in the Kotzebue District. (c) Arctic District: all waters of Alaska north of the latitude of the westernmost tip of Point Hope and west of 141° W. long., including waters draining into the Chukchi Sea and Arctic Ocean.

5 AAC 03.310. Fishing seasons. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, salmon may be taken only in the Kotzebue District from July 10 through August 31.

5 AAC 03.320. Fishing periods. In the Kotzebue District, salmon may be taken only during commercial fishing periods established by emergency order.

5 AAC 03.330. Gear. In the Kotzebue District, salmon may be taken only with set gillnets.

5 AAC 03.331. Gillnet specifications and operation. (a) In the Kotzebue District, (1) no person may operate set gillnet gear that exceeds 150 fathoms in aggregate length; (2) no person may operate more than three set gillnets. (b) No gillnet gear may be operated in a manner to obstruct more than one-half the width of any waterway. In the intertidal zone this restriction applies at all stages of the tide.

5 AAC 03.333. Fishing sites. In the Kotzebue District, a CFEC permit holder may reserve a set gillnet fishing site for the next fishing period by intentionally anchoring or fixing the permit holder's vessel on that site. The vessel must have a set gillnet on board, and the CFEC permit holder must remain on board the vessel until the fishing period opens.

5 AAC 03.334. Identification of gear. Each set gillnet in operation must be identified as required by 5 AAC 39.280.

5 AAC 03.335. Minimum distance between units of gear. In the Kotzebue District, no part of a set gillnet may be set or operated within 300 feet of any set gillnet that is intentionally being set, anchored, or fixed.

5 AAC 03.350. Closed waters. Salmon may not be taken in the following waters: (1) repealed 7/16/92; (2) Subdistrict 2 described in 5 AAC 03.200(b)(2); (3) all waters of the Noatak River north of a line between ADF&G regulatory markers and buoys located at the mouth of the river; (4) Arctic District described in 5 AAC 03.200. (5) in Subdistrict 1 described in 5 AAC 03.200(b)(1), all marine waters from ADF&G regulatory markers located at the Weather Service Dome south of the airport runway to the NANA building, extending one mile offshore into Kotzebue Sound perpendicular to the beach.

5 AAC 03.355. Requirements for transporting salmon and salmon roe in the Arctic-Kotzebue Area. A salmon buyer or processor transporting salmon or salmon roe to the point of initial processing must have in possession, and display, upon request, to a peace officer of the state, a completed fish ticket, or a copy of the fish ticket, for all salmon or salmon roe in the buyer's or processor's possession at the time. While transporting commercially-harvested salmon or salmon roe, a buyer or processor may not possess or transport subsistence-harvested salmon or salmon roe.

5 AAC 03.360. Sikusuilaq Terminal Harvest Area Management Plan. Repealed.

Repealed 7/30/89

5 AAC 03.410 was repealed as of Register 110.

5 AAC 03.510. Fishing season. Repealed.

5 AAC 03.610. Fishing seasons. Except as provided in 5 AAC 39.780, the commercial sheefish fishing season in the Kotzebue District is from October 1 until closed by emergency order.

5 AAC 03.620. Gear. In the Kotzebue District, sheefish may be taken only with set gillnets or jigging gear.

5 AAC 03.621. Gillnet specifications and operations. The following gillnet specifications and operational requirements apply when taking sheefish: (1) no person may operate more than 50 fathoms of gillnet in the aggregate; (2) no gillnet may be more than 12 meshes in depth nor have a mesh size larger than seven inches; (3) no gillnet may obstruct one-half or more of the width of a waterway.

5 AAC 03.630. Quotas. In the Kotzebue District the commercial sheefish quota is 25,000 pounds.