1. (a) Unless otherwise specified in this chapter, during the closed season for king crab in a registration area, king crab pots must be removed from the water, except rectangular king crab pots with all bait and bait containers removed and all doors secured fully open, and cone or pyramid king crab pots with all bait and bait containers removed and all doors not secured closed, may be stored in waters

   1. (1) of 25 fathoms or less in depth; or

   2. (2) deeper than 25 fathoms for only

      1. (A) seven days following the season closure for king crab in a registration area; or
      2. (B) 72 hours following the closure of any district, portion of a district, or portion of the registration area.
2. (b) Unless otherwise specified in this chapter, king crab pots with all doors secured fully open and with all bait containers removed may be stored in water deeper than the maximum permissible depth if the vessel owner, or the owner's agent, has contacted, in person or by radio or telephone, the local representative of the department at a landing port or inspection point specified in this chapter or by the department, and has been granted an extension of time to remove and store pots due to a major vessel breakdown or extreme weather conditions.
3. (c) A pot stored under this section may not have any portion of the line attaching the pot to a buoy or buoys floating on the surface of the water at any time, except for that portion of the line connecting the main buoy to an auxiliary buoy or buoys.
4. (d) The provisions of this section may be modified by regulations in effect for other specified registration areas.

(Eff. 9/1/96, Register 139)

Authority: AS 16.05.251