1. (a) The purpose of the management plan in this section is to provide for the biological escapement goal requirements of spawning king salmon to the Situk-Ahrnklin River systems. This management plan provides guidelines to the department in an effort to preclude allocation conflicts between the various user groups of the king salmon resource. Action points and associated ranges within the plan are intended to be based on the current king salmon escapement goal ranges for the Situk River system.
2. (b) The biological escapement goal for the Situk River king salmon is 730 fish three ocean years of age or older, with a range of 450 - 1,050 fish.

3. (c) The department shall manage the commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries for king salmon as follows:

   1. (1) until at least 450 king salmon three ocean years of age or older have passed the Situk River weir located approximately two miles upstream of the mouth,

      1. (A) the sport fishery for king salmon in the Situk River is closed;
      2. (B) retention of king salmon in the subsistence and commercial set gillnet fisheries in the Situk-Ahmklin Inlet and Lost River is prohibited;
      3. (C) the commercial troll fishery shall be closed in the waters of Alaska bounded on the west by the three-nautical-mile limit of the territorial sea and on the north by a line extending seaward from 59° 30.49' N. lat., 139° 46.58' W. long., and intersecting the three-nautical-mile limit at 59° 28.44' N. lat., 139° 51.68' W. long., and on the south by a line extending seaward from 59° 21.07' N. lat., 139° 19.73' long., and intersecting the three-nautical-mile limit at 59° 19.08' N. lat., 139° 24.98' W. long.; and
      4. (D) weekly fishing periods in the Situk-Ahrnklin Inlet and Lost River commercial set gillnet fisheries may be restricted;

   2. (2) when at least 450 king salmon three ocean years of age or older have passed the Situk River weir located approximately two miles upstream of the mouth,

      1. (A) retention of king salmon may open, by emergency order, in the subsistence fishery and shall open before a sport or commercial opening;
      2. (B) retention of king salmon may open, by emergency order, in the commercial set gillnet fisheries in the Situk-Ahrnklin Inlet and Lost River;
      3. (C) the commercial salmon troll fishery may open, by emergency order, in the waters of Alaska bounded on the west by the three-nautical-mile limit of the territorial sea and on the north by a line extending seaward from 59° 30.49' N. lat., 139° 46.58' W. long., and intersecting the three-nautical-mile limit at 59° 28.44' N. lat., 139° 51.68' W. long., and on the south by a line extending seaward from 59° 21.07' N. lat., 139° 19.73' W. long., and intersecting the three-nautical-mile limit at 59° 19.08' N. lat., 139° 24.98' W. long.; and
      4. (D) the sport fishery for king salmon in the Situk River may open downstream of the weir located at approximately river mile two;

   3. (3) when at least 730 king salmon three ocean years of age or older have passed the Situk River weir located approximately two miles upstream of the mouth,

      1. (A) retention of king salmon shall open, by emergency order, in the subsistence fishery;
      2. (B) the commercial salmon troll fishery may open, by emergency order, in the waters of Alaska bounded on the west by the three-nautical-mile limit of the territorial sea and on the north by a line extending seaward from 59° 30.49' N. lat., 139° 46.58' W. long., and intersecting the three-nautical-mile limit at 59° 28.44' N. lat., 139° 51.68' W. long., and on the south by a line extending seaward from 59° 21.07' N. lat., 139° 19.73' W. long., and intersecting the three-nautical-mile limit at 59° 19.08' N. lat., 139° 24.98' W. long.;
      3. (C) the commissioner shall manage the commercial set net fisheries in the Situk-Ahmklin Inlet and Lost River based solely on the sockeye salmon run strength, while allowing for the retention of king salmon; and
      4. (D) the sport fishery for king salmon in the Situk River may open downstream of the weir located at approximately river mile two

   4. (4) when 1,050 king salmon three ocean years of age or older have passed the Situk River weir located approximately two miles upstream of the mouth, the department shall manage the commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries as necessary to harvest large king salmon in excess of the biological escapement goal range; to achieve this goal the commissioner may, by emergency order, implement one or more of the following management measures:

      1. (A) liberalize seasons, areas, and method and means in the Situk River under 5 AAC 75.003(2)(A);
      2. (B) increase the sport fishery bag, possession, and annual limits for king salmon 20 inches or greater in length;
      3. (C) manage the commercial set gillnet fisheries in the Situk-Ahrnklin Inlet and Lost River based on the sockeye salmon run strength;
      4. (D) in the Situk-Ahrnklin Inlet and Lost River set gillnet fisheries, allow the use of one additional gillnet that is no more than 20 fathoms in length and no more than 45 meshes in depth, with a mesh size of no less than seven and one-half inches, for the directed taking of king salmon during periods when sockeye salmon may or may not be retained.

(Eff. 4/30/91, Register 118; am 4/23/94, Register 130; am 6/14/2000, Register 154; am 7/26/2003, Register 167; am 5/26/2006, Register 178; am 7/13/2012, Register 203; am 9/7/2012, Register 203; am 6/27/2025, Register 254)

Authority: AS 16.05.060, AS 16.05.251