If the commissioner determines that the pelagic rockfish sport fishing regulations must be modified to keep sport harvest within sustainable levels, the commissioner shall consider restrictions to nonresident bag, possession, or annual limits before restrictions to the resident sport fishery. Restrictions to the resident sport fishery may only occur if the resident sport fishery harvest has exceeded 50 percent of the total sport harvest for two consecutive years. The commissioner may, by emergency order, require one or more of the following management measures:

1. (1) reducing the bag and possession limits for nonresident anglers;
2. (2) prohibiting charter operators and crew members from retaining pelagic rockfish while clients are on board the vessel;
3. (3) imposing annual limits for pelagic rockfish for nonresident anglers;
4. (4) reducing the bag and possession limits for resident anglers;
5. (5) imposing annual limits for pelagic rockfish for resident anglers;
6. (6) imposing time and area closures.

(Eff. 6/27/2025, Register 254)

Authority: AS 16.05.060, AS 16.05.251