State fisheries officials are accepting bids through noon on Feb. 17 for vessels to conduct a test fishery using pot gear to harvest up to 30,000 pounds of Tanner crab in the Prince William Sound area.
The test fishery is to be conducted between Feb. 22 and April 9. The minimum bid price is 80 cents per pound of Tanner crab harvested. Bids will be accepted for six individual lots (A-F) up to a maximum harvest level of 5,000 pounds per lot of legal male Tanner crab, equal to or greater than 5 inches shell width.
The study purpose is to collect information on legal male catch rate, male size composition and distribution of Tanner crab within each test fishery lot.
Vessel owners interested in obtaining a request-for-quotation sheet should contact Elisa Russ at 907-399-1721, via email at elisa.russ@alaska.gov, or leave a voicemail request for the packet, including contact information, at the ADF&G office in Homer, 907-235-8191.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, those interested are encouraged to ask questions by phone and submit quotes via fax, at 907-235-2448 or email elisa.russ@alaska.gov
Lots A-F are in defined areas of Prince William Sound with corresponding statistical areas. Within five lot, 25 mandatory pot locations are defined, but for lot F the mandatory pot number is 10.
Contracts will be awarded to the highest bidder for each lot.
