1. (a) The purpose of this management plan is to ensure biological spawning escapement requirements of sockeye salmon into the Kvichak River drainage upstream of its confluence with the Alagnak River (Branch River). It is the intent of the Board of Fisheries to address the trade-off between biological, social, and economic concerns for Kvichak River drainage sockeye salmon. This management plan provides guidelines to the department to minimize allocation conflicts between sport and subsistence users of the sockeye salmon resource. The department shall manage the Kvichak River as follows:

   1. (1) if the inseason escapement is projected to be two million sockeye salmon or more, the existing sport fishing regulations in this title will be in effect;

   2. (2) if the inseason escapement is projected to be less than two million sockeye salmon, the commissioner shall, by emergency order, impose restrictions on the sport fishery as follows:

      1. (A) a reduction in bag and possession limits from five fish to two fish; and

      2. (B) a closure of waters within the Kvichak River drainage to sport fishing for sockeye salmon that may have the potential for conflict between the sport and subsistence fisheries, including

         1. (i) Alexi Creek and all waters within 150 yards of its confluence with the Newhalen River;
         2. (ii) the waters of Sixmile Lake and one-quarter mile downstream of Sixmile Lake in the Newhalen River and the lower one-quarter mile of the Tazimina River;
         3. (iii) all waters within one-half-mile of the confluence of the Gibraltar River with Lake Iliamna; and
         4. (iv) the waters of the Kvichak River adjacent to the community of Igiugig as posted between ADF&G regulatory markers.

2. (b) If the department projects that the spawning escapement will be less than two million sockeye salmon, and the Naknek-Kvichak District is also closed to commercial fishing for 10 consecutive days, the commissioner may, by emergency order, implement one or more of the following additional restrictions to the sport fishery:

   1. (1) reduction of the sockeye salmon bag and possession limit to one fish;
   2. (2) closure of additional waters that have a potential for conflict between the sport and subsistence fisheries;
   3. (3) closures during the spawning season;
   4. (4) closure of the entire Kvichak River drainage to sockeye salmon fishing.
3. (c) The department shall manage for a harvest of 15,000 sockeye salmon in the sport fishery.

(Eff. 6/14/2001, Register 158)

Authority: AS 16.05.060, AS 16.05.251