Cook Inlet Tanner Crab Fishery Updates While every effort is made to keep this page current, there may be delays in the posting of web page updates.  For the most current announcement/new release information please call our Homer Office at 907-235-8191.

SELECT GRAPHIC FOR WEATHER DETAILS ADF&G does not endorse the commercial site above but provides this link only for current & forecast weather information.

Issued Januuary 11, 2010

2009 COOK INLET/NORTH GULF COAST NONCOMMERCIAL TANNER CRAB PERMITS DUE JANUARY 15, 2010

January 15, 2010, is the deadline to return 2009 Cook Inlet/North Gulf Coast non-commercial Tanner crab permits to the Department of Fish and Game. These permits were required to harvest Tanner crab in the sport, personal use, and subsistence fisheries in the summer and fall of 2009.

Permits must be returned, even if no one named on the permit crabbed, or if no crab were caught. If no one listed on the permit went crabbing, please check the "Did not fish" box on the permit and return it. Crab catch logs should be complete and legible.

Completed permits can be mailed to the Homer ADF&G office, 3298 Douglas Place, Homer, 99603, with appropriate postage. Permits can also be delivered to ADF&G offices in Anchorage, Homer and Soldotna during regular office hours or after hours in the "drop boxes" provided at each office location.

If your permit was lost or damaged, please contact the Homer Area office at 235-8191.

A new permit is required for the spring 2010 season that ends March 15. Spring 2010 permits are currently available at ADF&G offices in Anchorage, Homer and Soldotna and at the Fish House in Seward. The permit is required before taking Tanner crab in Cook Inlet and along the north Gulf of Alaska including Resurrection Bay. You must log your catch before you leave the fishing area.

The information on the permit is needed to accurately assess and manage these crab fisheries, and to continue to provide these fishing opportunities in the future.

Issued August 7, 2009

CRABBERS ASKED NOT TO SET CRAB POTS IN KACHEMAK BAY AUGUST 11 to SEPTEMBER 9, 2009

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in cooperation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), will be conducting a sonar survey to provide detailed bottom and habitat mapping of Kachemak Bay. Two NOAA vessels and launches will be conducting the research. The Department of Fish and Game is requesting that persons participating in the non-commercial fisheries for Tanner crab in Kachemak Bay refrain from setting crab pots in the outer Bay (i.e. outside the Homer Spit), particularly in deep water areas (denoted in map below) between the dates of August 11th and September 9th. This will enable the NOAA research vessel and launches to operate without entangling gear in their sonar equipment. Data from this mapping survey will benefit ADF&G in assessing groundfish and shellfish in Kachemak Bay. The area east of the Homer Spit is minimally affected by this work. If you have any questions, please contact the Homer Fish and Game office at 235-8191.

Issued June 24, 2009

NONCOMMERCIAL TANNER CRAB FISHERIES OPEN JULY 15 IN WATERS OF COOK INLET AND THE NORTH GULF COAST

Subsistence, personal use, and sport fisheries for Tanner crab will open on July 15 in the waters of Cook Inlet and the North Gulf Coast areas including Kachemak Bay. Regulations for the fisheries are described on pages 62-63 of the 2009 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations summary.

A permit is required prior to harvesting Tanner crab in these noncommercial fisheries. Permits are free and are available during regular business hours at ADF&G offices in Anchorage, Soldotna, Homer and at the Fish House in Seward. A person must possess or be named as a household member on a permit and the permit must be in possession of the person fishing for Tanner crab. Harvest information must be entered on the permit catch log prior to leaving the fishing grounds. The permit must be returned to the department at the end of the calendar year.

The methods, means and bag limits are identical for all three noncommercial fisheries, although fishing under subsistence regulations is limited to subsistence area waters shown on Figure 1. The season dates are July 15 – March 15. Gear is limited to two pots per person with no more than two pots per vessel. Each pot must have two escape rings with an inside diameter of 4 3/8 inches, meet the biodegradable escape mechanism requirements (5 AAC 39.145), and may not have any line floating on the surface except that portion connecting the main buoy to a trailer buoy. Bag and possession limits are five legal-sized (legal size = 5 ½ inches or greater in carapace width) male Tanner crab per person and per day.

For more information contact Charlie Trowbridge in the Division of Commercial Fisheries Homer Area Office at 907-235-8191, or Nicole Szarzi in the Division of Sport Fish Homer Area Office at 907-235-1739. This shellfish news release can be found on the department’s web site at http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/region2/rgn2home.php.

Figure 1.
Map showing all the areas of Cook Inlet and the North Gulf Coast area that will open to noncommercial harvest of Tanner crab on July 15, including the Kachemak Bay area opening, announced in a previous news release. Only sport and personal use fishing may occur in the nonsubsistence area. Subsistence, personal use, or sport fishing may occur in the Subsistence area shown.

Issued August 12, 2008

CRABBERS ASKED NOT TO SET CRAB POTS IN KACHEMAK BAY AUGUST 15-29

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in cooperation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), will be conducting a sonar survey to provide detailed bottom and habitat mapping of Kachemak Bay. Two NOAA vessels and launches will be conducting the research. The Department of Fish and Game is requesting that persons participating in the non-commercial fisheries for Tanner crab in Kachemak Bay refrain from setting crab pots in the inner Bay (i.e. inside the Homer Spit), particularly in deep water areas (denoted in map below) between the dates of August 15th and August 29th. This will enable the NOAA research vessel and launches to operate without entangling gear in their sonar equipment. Data from this mapping survey will benefit ADF&G in assessing groundfish and shellfish in Kachemak Bay. The area west of the Homer Spit is not affected by this work. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game greatly appreciates public cooperation during the period of August 15th through August 29th. If you have any questions, please contact the Homer Fish and Game office at 235-8191.

Issued May 30, 2008

NONCOMMERCIAL TANNER CRAB FISHING TO OPEN JULY 15
IN WATERS OF COOK INLET AND THE NORTH GULF COAST

Subsistence, personal use, and sport fisheries for Tanner crab will open on July 15 in the waters west of a line between Anchor Point and Point Pogibshi including Cook Inlet and the North Gulf Coast areas. The estimated abundance of legal sized male Tanner crab in the Kamishak and Barren Islands Districts has met the minimum criteria for opening the fishery under the management plan adopted by the Alaska Board of Fisheries in 2008. This fishery opening is in addition to the Tanner crab opening in Kachemak Bay announced in an earlier news release.

A permit is required prior to harvesting Tanner crab in these noncommercial fisheries. Permits are free and should be available by mid-June during regular business hours at ADF&G offices in Anchorage, Soldotna, Homer and at the Department of Public Safety’s Seward office when staff there are available. The permit must be in possession of the person fishing for Tanner crab and harvest information must be entered on the permit before leaving the fishing grounds. The permit must be returned to the department at the end of the calendar year.

The methods, means and bag limits are identical for all three noncommercial fisheries, although fishing under subsistence regulations is limited to waters near Seldovia (see department web site for a map of the area: http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/region2/rgn2home.php). The fishery season dates are July 15 – March 15. Gear is limited to two pots per person with no more than two pots per vessel. Each pot must have two escape rings with an inside diameter of 4 3/8 inches, meet the biodegradable escape mechanism requirements (5 AAC 39.145), and may not have any line floating on the surface except that portion connecting the main buoy to a trailer buoy. Bag and possession limits are five legal-sized (5 ½ inches or greater in carapace width) male Tanner crab per person and per day.

For more information contact Charlie Trowbridge in the Division of Commercial Fisheries Homer Area Office at 907-235-8191, or Nicole Szarzi in the Division of Sport Fish Homer Area Office at 907-235-1739. This shellfish news release can be found on the department’s web site at http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/region2/rgn2home.php.

Figure 1. Map showing all the areas of Cook Inlet and the North Gulf Coast area that will open to noncommercial harvest of Tanner crab on July 15, including the Kachemak Bay area opening, announced in a previous news release. Only sport and personal use fishing may occur in the nonsubsistence area. Subsistence, personal use, or sport fishing may occur in the Subsistence area shown. 

Issued April 25, 2008

NONCOMMERCIAL TANNER CRAB FISHING
TO OPEN JULY 15 IN KACHEMAK BAY

Kachemak Bay

Subsistence, personal use, and sport fisheries for Tanner crab will open on July 15 in the waters of Kachemak Bay east of a line between Anchor Point and Point Pogibshi.  Department surveys estimate the abundance of legal sized male Tanner crab has met the minimum criteria for opening the fishery under the management plan adopted by the Alaska Board of Fisheries in 2002.

A permit is required prior to harvesting Tanner crab in these noncommercial fisheries.  Permits are free and should be available by mid-June at ADF&G offices in Anchorage, Soldotna, and Homer.  The permit must be in possession of the person fishing for Tanner crab and harvest information must be entered on the permit before leaving the fishing grounds.  The permit must be returned to the department at the end of the season.

The methods, means and bag limits are identical for all three fisheries, although fishing under subsistence regulations is limited to waters near Seldovia (see department web site for a map of the area: http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/region2/rgn2home.php).  The fishery season dates are July 15 – December 31 and January 15 – March 15.  Gear is limited to two pots per person with no more than two pots per vessel.  Each pot must have two escape rings with an inside diameter of 4 3/8 inches, meet the biodegradable escape mechanism requirements (5 AAC 39.145), and may not have any line floating on the surface except that portion connecting the main buoy to a trailer buoy.  Bag and possession limits are five legal sized (5 ½ inches or greater in carapace width) male Tanner crab per person and per day.

Other Areas

The results of the department’s May, 2008 Kamishak Bay/Barren Islands survey will determine whether noncommercial Tanner crab fishing will occur in those waters west of the line between Anchor Point and Point Pogibshi, including Cook Inlet and the North Gulf District.  If the estimated abundance of legal males is above the minimum fishery threshold, a noncommercial Tanner crab fishery will be prosecuted in these waters beginning July 15.  The fishery will not open if the estimated abundance of legal males from the trawl survey is below the minimum fishery threshold.  A separate news release will announce the survey results and provide information on the fishery.

For more information contact Charlie Trowbridge in the Division of Commercial Fisheries Homer Area Office at 907-235-8191, or Nicole Szarzi in the Division of Sport Fish Homer Area Office at 907-235-1739.  This shellfish news release can be found on the department’s web site at http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/region2/rgn2home.php.

Figure 1. Map showing the area of Kachemak Bay that will open to noncommercial harvest of Tanner crab on July 15.  Only sport and personal use fishing may occur in the nonsubsistence area.  Subsistence, personal use, or sport fishing may occur in the Subsistence area shown.