2009 King salmon sport regulations announced

JUNEAU - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has announced the 2009 sport fishing bag and possession limits for king salmon in Southeast Alaska and Yakutat, effective as of April 2. The regulations are as follows:

o The resident bag and possession limit is two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length.

o From October 2009 through March 2010; a resident sport angler may use two rods when fishing for king salmon.

o The nonresident bag and possession limit is one king salmon 28 inches or greater in length.

o The nonresident annual limit is three king salmon 28 inches or greater in length.

The Southeast Alaska king salmon sport fishery is managed under the directives of the Southeast Alaska King Salmon Management Plan. This plan prescribes management measures implemented by the department for the king salmon sport fishery based upon the preseason abundance index determined by the Chinook Technical Committee of the Pacific Salmon Commission. The preseason abundance index for the 2009 season is 1.33 which equates to 40,409 king salmon allocated to the sport fishery.

The Southeast Alaska King Salmon Management Plan prescribes that the regulations listed above be implemented when the king salmon abundance index is greater than 1.2 and less than or equal to 1.5.

For more information on sport fisheries in Southeast Alaska, contact the nearest ADF&G office or visit www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/statewide/eonr/index.cfm?region=Region%201%2DSoutheast.