(Juneau) - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announces a harvest opportunity for demersal shelf rockfish, excluding yelloweye, which will open for Alaska resident anglers on Thursday, April 14, 2022.

Resident anglers:

• The daily bag and possession limit is one demersal shelf rockfish, excluding yelloweye.

Nonresident anglers:

• Demersal shelf rockfish may not be retained.

Demersal shelf rockfish open to residents are quillback, copper, China, canary, tiger, and rosethorn. This action allows the limited harvest of demersal shelf rockfish for residents while protecting the sustainability of yelloweye rockfish. Despite conservative management action yelloweye rockfish biomass has decreased 60% in the last 20 years and will remain closed to retention. A helpful flyer is available on the Fish and Game website to assist anglers with identification.

Other Rockfish regulations:

• Slope rockfish: 1 per day, 1 in possession (all anglers).
• Pelagic rockfish: 5 per day, 10 in possession (all anglers),
  • except in Sitka (CSEO area) where nonresident limits are 3 per day, 6 in possession (Map in the Southeast Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary).

• When releasing any rockfish, anglers must use a deepwater release mechanism to return the fish to the depth it was hooked or to a depth of at least 100 feet.
• All vessels must have at least one functional deepwater release mechanism on board and readily available for use when saltwater sport fishing activities are taking place.

For more information, please contact the nearest ADF&G office or visit our website.

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