Alaska Administrative Code
Title 5 - Fish and Game
Part 1 - Commercial and Subsistence Fishing and Private Nonprofit Salmon Hatcheries
Chapter 27 - Herring Fishery
Article 12 - Bristol Bay Area (Registration Area T)
5 AAC 27.865 - Bristol Bay Herring Management Plan

(1) when circumstances preclude the department from adequately assessing the biomass, the fishery must be managed for an exploitation based on the preseason projected return;

(2) whenever possible, openings for both gear types must begin during the hours of daylight, and special consideration will be given to afford the maximum amount of daylight;

(3) repealed 4/16/2023;

(4) the maximum exploitation rate for the Bristol Bay herring stock is 20 percent; before opening the Togiak District herring fishery for sac roe and other herring products, the department shall set aside approximately 1,500 short tons for the Togiak District herring spawn-on-kelp fishery, and seven percent of the remaining available harvest for the Dutch Harbor food and bait fishery; if the actual harvest is less than the herring spawn-on-kelp guideline harvest level, the commissioner may reallocate 50 percent of the remainder to the Togiak District herring fishery;

(5) after the herring spawn-on-kelp harvest and the Dutch Harbor food and bait fishery have been subtracted, the remaining harvestable surplus is allocated to the Togiak District herring fishery; the department shall manage for a removal of 30 percent of that surplus by the gillnet fleet and 70 percent by the purse seine fleet, except that the allocations in this subsection shall be 20 percent by the gillnet fleet and 80 percent by purse seine fleet through December 31, 2022;

(6) if a manageable separation of the year classes occurs, an exploitation rate of up to 20 percent may be allowed on the younger age herring (four years or less), and no fishery may be considered if this recruit population is less than 20,000 short tons;

(7) late season (post-peak) herring fishery openings must be based on one or more of the following criteria:

(8) through December 31, 2022, if the department's in season projection of the Togiak District gillnet harvest is less than the guideline harvest level, the commissioner may reallocate 50 percent of the remaining gillnet guideline harvest level to the Togiak District purse seine fleet.