The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Sport Fish announced today that the bag and possession limit for all anglers in three Ketchikan terminal harvest areas, from May 15 through June 14, 2018, is one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length. For nonresidents, the annual limit is three king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length. The terminal harvest areas are defined as follows:

• Neets Bay Area: east of the longitude of the eastern most tip of Bug Island.
• Thomas Basin: seaward of the Stedman Street Bridge to the breakwater.
• Mountain Point Area: the waters of George and Carroll Inlets north of the latitude of Mountain Point at 55°17.57 N. lat., and south of the latitude of the George Inlet cannery site at 55°23.00 N. lat.(see attached map).

The Alaska Board of Fisheries authorized the department to use its emergency order authority to open terminal harvest areas to target surplus Alaska hatchery king salmon. The areas opened by this emergency order will allow anglers to target Alaska hatchery-produced king salmon originating from the Neets Bay Hatchery, Deer Mountain Hatchery, Whitman Lake Hatchery and the Carroll Inlet remote release. Projected returns to these facilities will exceed broodstock needs, thus a surplus of hatchery fish are available for harvest by sport anglers.

Anglers are reminded that until June 15, the salt waters outside of the designated terminal harvest areas are closed to king salmon retention. Therefore, anglers fishing in multiple areas for other species must be diligent to ensure they do not possess king salmon in areas that prohibit the retention of king salmon. On June 15, 2018 regionwide regulations will apply in these areas.

For further information concerning this announcement please contact Ketchikan Area Management Biologist, Kelly Reppert at (907) 225-2859.

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