Press Release, No. 06-05: January 31, 2006

Contact: James Fall, Regional Program Manager, Division of Subsistence, (907) 267-2359;
in Southeast Alaska, contact Mike Turek, Subsistence Resource Specialist, (907) 465-3617

Subsistence Division Conducts Halibut Fishery Mail Survey

(Juneau) – In early February, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G), Division of Subsistence, will mail a one-page survey form to everyone who has registered and received a Subsistence Halibut Registration Certificate (SHARC) from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Survey recipients will be asked to indicate if they subsistence fished for halibut in 2005, how many halibut they harvested, and to return the form to ADF&G.

To ensure future subsistence halibut fishery decisions are based on reliable information, everyone who receives the survey is encouraged to take a few minutes to fill it out and return it to ADF&G. Accurate harvest information is essential for effective management and for providing future subsistence fishing opportunities. The study findings will be summarized at a community level and presented in a final written report available to the public in late 2006.

This year is the third year in an ongoing project to estimate subsistence halibut harvests in Alaska. Results of the research pertaining to 2003 and 2004 subsistence halibut harvests are available at the Division of Subsistence website at www.subsistence.adfg.state.ak.us , under “Publications.”

Questions about the survey should be addressed to James Fall or Brian Davis, Division of Subsistence, ADF&G; 333 Raspberry Road; Anchorage, Alaska 99518; Phone: (907) 267-2353; e-mail: jim_fall@fishgame.state.ak.us or brian_davis@fishgame.state.ak.us

In southeast Alaska, please contact Mike Turek, Division of Subsistence, ADF&G, PO Box 115526, Juneau, Alaska, 99802; Phone (907-465-3617); e-mail: mike_turek@fishgame.state.ak.us

Questions about subsistence halibut fishing regulations, including how to obtain a SHARC, should be addressed to NMFS at 1-800-304-4846 (option #2).

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