(Released: March 18, 2019 - Expired: September 15, 2019)

Division of Sport Fish
Dave Rutz, Director
Anchorage Headquarters Office
333 Raspberry Road
Anchorage, AK 99518


Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Doug Vincent-Lang, Commissioner
P.O. Box 115526
Juneau, AK 99811-5526
www.adfg.alaska.gov


Contact: Jay Baumer, Area Management Biologist
(907) 267-2265

Pots Reduced in the Prince William Sound Sport and Subsistence Shrimp Fishery

(Anchorage) - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is reducing the number of allowable pots per person and per vessel in the 2019 Prince William Sound (PWS) sport and subsistence shrimp pot fishery from five pots to three pots. The season is open from 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 15 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, September 15, 2019, with no bag limit. This season's guideline harvest level (GHL) for the noncommercial (sport and subsistence) shrimp fishery is 102,100 pounds of shrimp.

“Last year, the noncommercial shrimp fishery had a GHL of 100,800 pounds and exceeded this by more than 28,000 pounds using four pots,” stated Area Management Biologist Jay Baumer. “To avoid exceeding the GHL this upcoming season, the 2019 sport and subsistence shrimp fishery will be three pots per person and per vessel.”

The commercial shrimp fishery rotates every year between three separate areas in the PWS area. This season this commercial fishery will be harvesting in Area 1 which is generally in the northeast side of PWS. For additional information about the commercial shrimp fishery for the PWS area, please see news release NR03-SF-E-19.

PWS sport and subsistence shrimp permits are available online. All participants are required to have a permit with them while shrimping. In addition, all permit harvest reports are due by October 15, 2019, regardless of whether you went shrimping or not. Participants may report their harvest online at any time and must have all harvest reported by the due date. Participants who report online with a valid email will receive an emailed confirmation their harvest has been reported.

For additional information about the PWS noncommercial shrimp pot fishery, please contact Area Management Biologist, Jay Baumer in Anchorage at (907) 267-2265. For additional information about the PWS subsistence and commercial shrimp pot fisheries, please contact Area Management Biologist, Jan Rumble in Homer at (907) 235-8191.

#19-2715