Contact:
Charlie Swanton
SE Regional Management Coordinator
Phone: (907) 465-4297

Juneau – The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announces that sport fishing charter operators, guides and crew are prohibited from retaining any fish species while paying clients are on board the vessel. This regulation change will become effective at 12:01 A.M. Friday May 26, 2006. The regulation is:

Ø      A sport fishing guide and sport fishing crew member working on a charter vessel in the salt waters of Southeast Alaska, excluding the Yakutat area may not retain fish while clients are on board the vessel.

These regulations apply in all marine waters of Southeast Alaska, excluding Yakutat and are being implemented as a means to curtail halibut harvest by sport fishing charter clients.  The halibut GHL for Southeast Alaska, excluding the Yakutat area was exceeded in 2004 and based upon preliminary data exceeded again in 2005. Based upon this information the department agreed to take action through the Board of Fisheries to prohibit charter boat guides and crew from retaining any species of fish while paying clients are on board the vessel in the salt waters of Southeast Alaska.

This action will effectively reduce the 2006 halibut harvest by sport fishing charter clients within Southeast Alaska.

For more information about the sport fisheries in Southeast Alaska, contact the nearest ADF&G office or visit: http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/statewide/EONR/index.cfm

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