PWS test fishery for Pollock set for January

Bowpickers dot the horizon outside of Whittier in Prince William Sound on Tuesday, July 3, 2018. (Photo by Emily Mesner/The Cordova Times)

Bids are being solicited by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game through Jan. 8 for a test fishery using pelagic trawl gear to harvest up to 900,000 pounds of walleye Pollock in Prince William Sound.

Eligible vessels must register for the 2019 PWS directed Pollock pelagic trawl fishery. The same area open for the test fishery will be open for the commercial fishery. Revenues generated from test fishery Pollock will be used to offset the cost of assessment and management in Prince William Sound.

ADF&G said the test fishery may occur the week before the regulatory opening of the PWS directed Pollock pelagic trawl fishery, between noon Jan. 12 and noon Jan. 19, or following closure of the commercial fishery, for which timing will depend on whether the guideline harvest level is achieved.

The minimum bid price is three-cents per pound. Bids will be accepted for three individual lots of 300,000 pounds each, with contracts to be awarded to the highest bidder within three decimal places for each of three lots. In the event of a bidding tie, the contract will be awarded via random drawing. All bids must be received at the Homer ADF&G office by noon Jan. 8.

Vessel owners or processors interested in obtaining a request-for-quotation sheet should contact Jan Rumble or Elisa Russ at ADF&G in Homer, or leave a voice mail request for the packet, including a contact fax number, at 1-907-235-8191.

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