1. (a) King crab may only be taken under the authority of a permit issued under 5 AAC 77.015; the department will issue only one king crab personal use fishing permit per household per year.
2. (b) Except as specified in (e) of this section, through January 24, 2028, the daily bag and possession limit is three male crab per person; if the preseason biomass estimate of legal male red and blue king crab is less than 50 percent of the median surveyed and non-surveyed biomass estimate of legal males, the commissioner may, by emergency order, reduce the bag and possession limit of red and blue king crab.

3. (c) The king crab seasons are as follows:

   1. (1) red and blue king crab may be taken only from July 1 through March 31;
   2. (2) golden king crab may be taken only from July 1 through June 15.
4. (d) Only male king crab seven inches or greater in width of shell may be taken or possessed.

5. (e) In the waters described in 5 AAC 33.200 as Section 11-A, in the personal use taking of king crab,

   1. (1) the daily bag and possession limit is three male king crab per person;

   2. (2) the commissioner may close and immediately reopen, by emergency order, a personal use red and blue king crab season during which one or more of the following conditions applies:

      1. (A) a reduced bag and possession limit;
      2. (B) a seasonal limit for king crab;
      3. (C) a reduced pot and ring net limit.
6. (f) Male king crab less than the minimum legal size and female king crab that have been taken must be immediately returned to the water unharmed.
7. (g) A person may not utilize a live holding facility to accumulate or pool multiple bag limits.
8. (h) Notwithstanding 5 AAC 77.010(i), no more than four pots or 10 ring nets per vessel may be used to take king crab. A pot used to take king crab under this section must have at least two escape rings on opposing vertical or sloping sides of the pot that are not less than six and one-quarter inches inside diameter.
9. (i) In this section, "legal male," with respect to red or blue king crab, means male red or blue king crab at least seven inches or greater in width of shell.

(Eff. 7/1/86, Register 99; am 7/1/95, Register 134; am 7/1/96, Register 138; am 8/8/99, Register 151; am 3/11/2001, Register 157; am 8/24/2002, Register 163; am 8/14/2005, Register 175; am 7/29/2009, Register 191; am 9/27/2009, Register 191; am 5/11/2012, Register 202; am 5/9/2015, Register 214; am 6/17/2018, Register 226; am 6/27/2025, Register 254)