The Alaska Board of Fisheries established a Pacific cod fishery in state waters, west of 170 degrees West longitude, of the Aleutian Islands District at their meeting in Ketchikan Feb. 20 through 26.

The fishery opens on or after March 15, at the conclusion of the initial parallel catcher-vessel trawl fishery for Pacific cod in the federal Bering Sea-Aleutian Island area.

It is open to jig, pot, longline and non-pelagic trawl gear types. Trawl and longline gear may not be used from May 1 through Sept. 15, unless operating in the 60-foot and under vessel size limitation areas near Adak Island. In Sitkin Sound, near Adak Island, the vessel size limit is in effect year-round for all gear types.

The guideline harvest level is 12,893,400 pounds. The GHL will be apportioned so that a maximum of 70 percent (9,025,380 pounds) is available prior to June 10, and 30 percent (3,868,020 pounds) plus any rollover from the first season is available beginning June10.

The daily harvest limit for each vessel is 150,000 pounds round weight, with a maximum of 300,000 pounds of unprocessed Pacific cod onboard a vessel. All Pacific cod taken must be retained, and any overage must be immediately reported to the department, with proceeds from the overage forfeited to the state.

Each vessel is required to report daily to Fish and Game. A vessel may not have more processed fish onboard than the round weight equivalent of the fish reported on Alaska Department of Fish and Game fish tickets during the Aleutian Islands state-waters Pacific cod fishery.

The fishery is non-exclusive registration. All vessels must register with ADF&G prior to participation. All Steller sea lion closures in effect during the parallel fishery will apply in the state-waters fishery.