Alaska Peninsula Area
Subsistence Fishing

Fishing Information

Fishermen with net on a beach The residents of the Alaska Peninsula subsist off salmon, halibut, finfish, crab, and shrimp which they fish for at different periods in the year. The ocean waters that surround the Peninsula, along with the numerous rivers and lakes, help sustain an abundant variety of fisheries resources. See subsistence fishing regulations for more information on where specific fisheries occur, open fishing periods, and allowable gear type.

 

Salmon

Salmon drying

  • All five species of Pacific salmon return to some of systems on the Peninsula.
  • The Board of Fish finds that 34,000-56,000 salmon are reasonably necessary for subsistence uses in the Alaska Peninsula Area.
  • No more than 250 salmon may be taken for subsistence purposes, per household, unless otherwise specified by a local representative of the department on the subsistence fishing permit.
  • In the Alaska Peninsula Area, a person may not possess salmon harvested under a subsistence fishing permit unless the dorsal fin has been removed immediately after harvest .
  • A person may not sell or purchase salmon from which the dorsal fin has been removed.
  • All subsistence caught salmon must be recorded on a subsistence fishing permit, and only one permit is issued per household. See Contact page for information on where to attain a subsistence fishing permit.

Halibut

Image of a halibut

  • Halibut may be taken for subsistence purposes only by a single handheld line with no more than two hooks attached.
  • The daily bag limit for halibut is two fish and the possession limit is two daily bag limits.
  • No person may possess sport-taken and subsistence-take halibut on the same day.

The National Marine Fisheries Service administers the subsistence halibut program under Federal regulations for residents of rural Alaska communities. To obtain a Subsistence Halibut Registration Certificate (SHARC) see the contact information at http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/ram/subsistence/halibut.htm .

Other Finfish

Photo of a rainbow trout

  • Fish, other than salmon, rainbow trout, and steelhead trout, may be taken at any time unless restricted under the terms of a subsistence fishing permit.
  • Rainbow trout and steelhead trout, taken incidentally in other subsistence finfish net fisheries or through the ice, are lawfully taken and may be retained for subsistence purposes.
  • The Board of Fish finds that 47,000-79,000 pounds of finfish other than salmon are reasonably necessary for subsistence uses in the Alaska Peninsula Area.
  • Trout and char taken for subsistence uses must be recorded on the same subsistence fishing permit as salmon.

Shellfish

Photo of a King crab on a rock

  • King, Tanner, and Dungeness crab may be taken for subsistence uses in the Alaska Peninsula.
  • To subsist for king and Tanner crab you must attain a subsistence crab permit with a harvest report, which you must carry with you at all times while subsisting.
  • To subsist for Dungeness crab they must be male crabs and no smaller that six and one-half inches or greater in width of shell to possess. The daily bag limit on Dungeness crab is no more than 12 per person.
  • For king crab they must also be male and no smaller than six and one-half inches or greater in width in shell. The daily bag limit for king crab is 1-6 per person depending on the location fished. See the Subsistence Fishing Handbook for regulations.
  • For Tanner crab you can only take males than are no smaller than five and one-half inch or greater in width of shell. The daily bag limit for Tanner crab is 12 per person.
  • The Alaska Peninsula also has a subsistence shrimp fishery. To do so the operator of a commercially licensed and registered shrimp fishing vessel must obtain a subsistence fishing permit from ADF&G.
  • No more than 500 pounds of shrimp may be in possession aboard the vessel for subsistence use. See Subsistence Fishing Handbook for more regulations.