Bids are being sought by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game for a vessel to contract to conduct a test fishery using pelagic trawl gear to harvest up to 408 metric tons of walleye pollock in the Prince William Sound area.
Eligible vessels must register for the 2018 Prince William Sound directed Pollock pelagic trawl fishery. The area open to test fishing will be the same area open during the commercial fishery.
The test fishery may occur the week before the regulatory opening of the directed Pollock pelagic trawl fishery between noon Jan. 12 and noon Jan. 19, or potentially following closure of the commercial fishery. Timing will depend on when the guideline harvest level is reached, ADF&G officials said. Fishery area restrictions may apply if the harvest or bycatch caps are achieved in one or more sections.
The minimum bid price is $0.030 per pound. Bids will be accepted for three individual lots of 300,000 pounds each. Contracts for each lot will be awarded to the highest bidders within three decimal places, and in the event of a tie, the contract will be awarded by a drawing.
Bids must be received at ADF&G’s office in Home by noon Jan. 10.
Fax bids to 1-907-235-2448.
Vessel owners or processors interested in obtaining a request-for-quotation sheet should contact Jan Rumble or Elia 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.
