Contact:
Bob Chadwick
SE Regional Management Coordinator
Phone: (907) 747-5551

Juneau – Today the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced the nonpelagic rockfish bag, possession, and the retention rules for the sport fishery during 2016 in the Southeast Outside Waters and Southeast Inside Waters. Nonresident angler annual limits of yelloweye rockfish have also been established for the 2016 season. The following regulations are effective 12:01 a.m. March 2, 2016:

All Southeast Waters

• All nonpelagic rockfish caught must be retained until the bag limit is reached.
• Persons sport fishing from a charter vessel when releasing nonpelagic rockfish, (i.e. after an angler reaches their bag limit), must be in possession of, and utilize a deep water release mechanism to return the fish to the depth it was hooked or to a depth of at least 100 feet.
• Charter operators and crew members may not retain nonpelagic rockfish while clients are on board the vessel.

Southeast Outside Waters (see attached map)

• Alaska Residents – No size limit, 2 nonpelagic rockfish daily, only 1 may be a yelloweye rockfish; 4 in possession, of which no more than 2 maybe yelloweye rockfish.
• Nonresidents – No size limit, 1 nonpelagic rockfish daily, 2 in possession, of which no more than 1 may be a yelloweye rockfish; annual limit of 1 yelloweye rockfish, which must be recorded, in ink, on the back of the angler’s sport fishing license or on a harvest record card at the time of harvest.

Southeast Inside Waters (see attached map)

• Alaska Residents – No size limit, 3 daily, only 1 may be a yelloweye rockfish; 6 in possession, of which no more than 2 maybe yelloweye rockfish.
• Nonresidents – No size limit, 2 daily, only 1 may be a yelloweye rockfish; 4 in possession, of which no more than 2 may be yelloweye rockfish; annual limit of 2 yelloweye rockfish, which must be recorded, in ink, on the back of the angler’s sport fishing license or on a harvest record card at the time of harvest. 

The Alaska Board of Fisheries allocated 16% of the allowable catch of demersal shelf rockfish to the sport fishery and established management provisions (5 AAC 47.065) to manage the sport fishery within the allocation. These measures implemented during 2016 are intended to provide fishing opportunity yet limit total mortality of nonpelagic rockfish within the sport allocation, and thereby ensure the sustainability of nonpelagic rockfish populations in the Southeast Alaska Area.

For further information, contact the nearest ADF&G office or visit: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishregulations.se_sportfish