Directed pelagic trawl fishing for Alaska pollock will open at noon on Jan. 20 in Prince William Sound with a 7.31-million-pound guideline harvest level, up 14% from the 2022 guideline harvest level.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) biologists remind harvesters that they have until Jan. 13 to obtain a 2023 pollock fishery registration to participate. In-season catch reports, logbooks and accommodation of an ADF&G observer upon request are required.
Pollock trip limits are 300,000 pounds. Harvests above that allowable amount must be documented as an overage on the fish ticket. Overage proceeds must include a relative percentage of sold pollock consistent with disposition codes reported on the fish ticket for all pollock landed.
State fisheries biologists said that while the directed pollock fishery is open all pollock caught as bycatch must be retained by fishers participating in other groundfish fisheries in PWS.
After the directed fishery closes, pollock must be retained up to the maximum allowable bycatch amount of 20% to other open directed groundfish fisheries.
ADF&G plans to solicit bids for a test fishery, which funds research in PWS, before the season begins. The available harvest will be 900,000 pounds.
The groundfish fisheries outlook released by ADF&G on Dec. 16 also included details for several other groundfish fisheries.
PWS limited entry sablefish permit holders must have a 2023 PWS sablefish registration no later than April 3 to participate in the season, which opens April 15 and closes Aug. 31.
The 2023 PWS sablefish guideline harvest level is 269,000 pounds, up 2% from 2022. ADF&G will distribute an announcement the first week of April outlining 2023 harvest allocation by permit class.
Rockfish in PWS may only be retained as bycatch to other directed fisheries. The PWS rockfish management plan requires full retention of all rockfish caught and mandates that proceeds from sale of any bycatch overage be paid to the state. Rockfish bycatch limits in PWS are 20% to directed sablefish, 5% to directed Pacific cod, 10% to other directed groundfish and halibut, and 0.5% to the pelagic trawl pollock fishery.
There is an overall rockfish guideline harvest level of 150,000 pounds and a five-day trip limit of 3,000 pounds. Black and dark rockfish in federal waters of PWS are managed by ADF&G ad accrue to the guideline harvest level.
Lingcod is managed by ADF&G in both state and federal waters.
Lingcod may not be retained until July 1. Participants in the PWS directed lingcod fishery must have a 2023 directed lingcod registration. Guideline harvest levels for the directed fishery are 7,300 pounds for the inside district and 25,300 pounds for the outside district. Lingcod may be retained as bycatch up to 20% of the directed finfish species on board a vessel after July 1. ADF&G will also issue an emergency order to require all lingcod be landed with head on and vent intact for gender determination, so that biological sampling goals can be met.
Two Pacific cod fishery seasons, the “parallel” and the “state waters,” occur within PWS state waters.
These seasons have distinct requirements including different registrations and gear limits.
