The Aleutian Islands black rockfish management area, defined as state waters of the Aleutian Islands District in the Bering Sea-Aleutian Islands Area and the Western District of the South Alaska Peninsula Area, opens to commercial fishing for black rockfish on January 1, 2012.

The total 2012 guideline harvest level (GHL) for the black rockfish fishery is 90,000 pounds, roundweight. The maximum black rockfish bycatch allowance in other groundfish fisheries is five percent.The GHL is distributed between three sections: Akutan, Unalaska and the Western sections.

In the Akutan and Unalaska sections the GHL is further divided among several subsections to broadly distribute fishing effort. The Akutan Section has four subsections, and the Unalaska Section has five subsections. The Aleutian Islands black rockfish management area is non-exclusive and gear types are limited to mechanical jig and hand troll. Fishermen using mechanical jig gear are limited to five jigging machines. A vessel owner or operator must register with ADF&G prior to fishing. Fishermen are required to complete and submit a logbook to the department for all fishing activity. Logbooks will be provided at the time of registration.

Additionally, if delivering in the port of Dutch Harbor, fishermen are asked to notify the department prior to product delivery to facilitate dockside sampling. Logbook data and the results of dockside sampling will help inform managers of this fishery.

State waters south of Akutan Island between 165° 41’ W longitude and 165° 46’ W longitude (thesouth end of Green Bight to Talus Point) will remain closed to the retention of black rockfish due to concern about localized stock depletion of this slow-growing, long-lived, non-migratory species.

Additional information and GHL limits for each section and subsection can be seen in the announcement on this page.

Source: ADF&G