New rockfish sport fishing regulations take effect this week

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced on Monday the bag, possession and retention regulations for this year's nonpelagic rockfish sport season.

For all Southeast waters, Alaska residents have no size limit, with a bag and possession limit of one nonpelagic rockfish. Nonresidents enjoy the same, with the additional limitation of one yelloweye rockfish per year. This must be recorded in ink on the back of an angler's sport fishing license or harvest record card at the time of harvest.

All nonpelagic rockfish that are caught must be retained until the bag limit is reached. Once the first is caught and retained, all other nonpelagic rockfish caught thereafter must be released.

Anglers catching said fish from a charter vessel must release them using a deep water release mechanism, returning them either to the depth the rockfish was hooked or at least 100 feet. All charter vessels must have at least one functional deep release mechanism on board and readily available during sport fishing activities. Charter operators and crew members may not retain nonpelagic rockfish while clients are on board the vessel.

The rules change for those fishing Southeast Outside Waters, defined as those beyond Point Carolus and Point Adolphus; Struya Point and Range Point; Cape Ommaney and Cape Decision; Cape Decision and Hole in the Wall; and along international waters to the south up to 132° W longitude.

From August 1 - August 21, retention of nonpelagic rockfish in these waters is prohibited, and all anglers fishing from any vessel during that time and place must have a functional deep water release mechanism on board. As with charter vessels above, nonpelagic rockfish must be released either at the depth they were hooked at or at least 100 feet.

The new management actions are being implemented in order to meet Southeast Outside Waters sport fish allocation for nonpelagic rockfish, while reducing harvest levels in Southeast Inside Waters. The adoption of deep water release mechanisms is due to their increasing the survival rate of such species to about 90 percent. Released at the surface, rockfish only have a survival rate of about 20 percent.

The regulations took effect March 22 at 12:01 a.m., and will last through March 31, 2018.