Alaska Board of Fish action on 2024 ACRs

The Alaska Board of Fisheries met in a Work Session October 29 & 30, 2024 to conduct non-regulatory business including considering agenda change requests (ACRs) and the election of officers. Märit Carlson-Van Dort was elected Chair unanimously, vice-Chair will be selected at the next meeting of the full 7 member board.

Of interest to Area M fishermen, the Board rejected ACR 13 that would reduce the maximum depth of hand and purse seines and regulate purse seine leads. ADF&G staff noted that ACR 13 did not meet the Board's criteria for accepting ACRs. The vote was 1 in support to 5 opposed, with only new member Curtis Chamberlain supporting ACR 13. Member Tom Carpenter called the ACR complicated and drastic, while member Mike Wood said he understood the submitted comments in support, but that the ACR should be taken up in-cycle. ACR 13 was opposed in written comments by the Aleutians East Borough, Area M Seiners Association, Concerned Area M Fishermen (CAMF) and Silver Bay Seafoods. Written comment in support of ACR 13 was submitted by the Lake and Peninsula Borough, the Fairbanks Advisory Committee, the Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association and the Eastern Interior Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Council.

The Board only accepted ACRs that ADFG staff comments stated met the Board criteria. The Board accepted ACR 4, by a vote of 5 to 1 with just member Greg Svendsen opposing. ACR 4 would extend season dates and increase the number of weekly periods for Upper Subdistrict commercial dip net fishery. Board then took no action on similar ACRs 5 & 6.

The board unanimously accepted ACR 8 that would add set beach seines as legal gear under the Kenai River late-run king salmon stock of concern management plan. The Board accepted ACR 11 by a vote of 4 to 2 with Märit Carlson-van Dort and Curtis Chamberlain opposing. ACR 11 would create a Kvichak River Special Harvest Area to allow harvest of Kvichak River sockeye salmon while conserving Naknek River sockeye salmon.

The Board also accepted ACR 14, by a vote of 6 to 0.  ACR 14 would allow CFEC salmon set gillnet permit holders who form a joint venture in the Central Section of the Northwest Kodiak District to operate 25 fathoms additional set gillnet gear.

All other ACRs did not meet criteria and were rejected by the Board (ACRs 1,2,3,7,9,10,12,13,15).

The four ACRs accepted by the Board are scheduled to be heard in Anchorage at the March 2025 Statewide Shellfish meeting.