Legal transportation of fish

[millsryno]

Hello, I believe I have an understanding of fish limits and possession limits for the most part. What I am still confused with is that if I catch fish all week and have them processed, vacuum packed and frozen at a business in Elfin Cove or Pelican, am I legally allowed to then load my boat with them at the end of the week and take them to Juneau?

Definitions from game and fish:

possession limit means the maximum number of unpreserved fish a person may have in possession.

preserved fish means fish prepared in such a manner, and in an existing state of preservation, as to be fit for human consumption after a 15-day period, and does not include unfrozen fish temporarily stored in coolers that contain ice, dry ice, or fish that are lightly salted.


I know that probably already answers my question, but somebody told me that if I load my boat with the filets/steaks that I can get in trouble. Please advise.

[iofthetaiga]

...if I catch fish all week and have them processed, vacuum packed and frozen at a business in Elfin Cove or Pelican, am I legally allowed to then load my boat with them at the end of the week and take them to Juneau?

Yes, once processed i.e. filleted, vacuum packed and frozen solid, they meet the definition of "preserved" and you are legal to have them in possession for transport.

[kbarnes]

Be aware that halibut possession definition is by the feds and not the state. Freezing the halibut on the boat doesn't take it out of your possession and it has to be left in whole fillets so they can determine how many halibut there are. I think you can transport halibut that has been cut up and packaged with no problems but you can't have fishing equipment on board, but you better check on this.

[FishGod]

http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sust...regsummary.htm

[polardds]

Be careful. A "by the rules" enforcement official could give you a ticket. Even though they are frozen in your cooler, he will say lets let the cooler sit here for 15 days and see if you want to eat the fish then. If they are frozen in a freezer they will be fine in 15 days.

[millsryno]

http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sust...regsummary.htm

Thanks for the link. According to this, it would be illegal for me to transport processed halibut via boat with any fishing gear on board as somebody else mentioned. Anybody know if there are any legal ways to get around this? I suppose we could attempt to rent fishing equipment in Elfin Cove or Pelican so we can transport the fish via boat back to Juneau is we had to...

28. Sport Fishing for Halibut - Areas 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E

• (1) In Convention waters in and off Alaska:*
  • (a) The sport fishing season is from February 1 to December 31.
  • (b) The daily bag limit is two halibut of any size per day per person unless a more restrictive bag limit applies in Commission regulations or Federal regulations at 50 CFR 300.65.
  • (c) No person may possess more than two daily bag limits.
  • (d) No person shall possess on board a vessel, including charter vessels and pleasure craft used for fishing, halibut that have been filleted, mutilated, or otherwise disfigured in any manner, except that each halibut may be cut into no more than 2 ventral pieces, 2 dorsal pieces, and 2 cheek pieces, with skin on all pieces.
  • (e) Halibut in excess of the possession limit in paragraph (1)(c) of this section may be possessed on a vessel that does not contain sport fishing gear, fishing rods, hand lines, or gaffs.

[sisusuomi]

The link below was explained to me by one of those folks that does the survey at Amalga but he seemed to imply you also needed the carcass that the fillets came from. I don't see that in the link so is he wrong?

Thanks for the link. According to this, it would be illegal for me to transport processed halibut via boat with any fishing gear on board as somebody else mentioned. Anybody know if there are any legal ways to get around this? I suppose we could attempt to rent fishing equipment in Elfin Cove or Pelican so we can transport the fish via boat back to Juneau is we had to...

28. Sport Fishing for Halibut - Areas 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E

• (1) In Convention waters in and off Alaska:*
  • (a) The sport fishing season is from February 1 to December 31.
  • (b) The daily bag limit is two halibut of any size per day per person unless a more restrictive bag limit applies in Commission regulations or Federal regulations at 50 CFR 300.65.
  • (c) No person may possess more than two daily bag limits.
  • (d) No person shall possess on board a vessel, including charter vessels and pleasure craft used for fishing, halibut that have been filleted, mutilated, or otherwise disfigured in any manner, except that each halibut may be cut into no more than 2 ventral pieces, 2 dorsal pieces, and 2 cheek pieces, with skin on all pieces.
  • (e) Halibut in excess of the possession limit in paragraph (1)(c) of this section may be possessed on a vessel that does not contain sport fishing gear, fishing rods, hand lines, or gaffs.

[anchskier]

The link below was explained to me by one of those folks that does the survey at Amalga but he seemed to imply you also needed the carcass that the fillets came from. I don't see that in the link so is he wrong?

You don't need to retain the carcass at all.

[sisusuomi]

:topjob: anchskier

[jrogers]

Thanks for the link. According to this, it would be illegal for me to transport processed halibut via boat with any fishing gear on board as somebody else mentioned. Anybody know if there are any legal ways to get around this?

I think you could pay to have the fish shipped from Elfin Cove back to Juneau. It seems like there are a lot of float plane flights between those locations that you may be able to put some fish boxes on.

[Bill S.]

You don't need to retain the carcass at all.

I'm not sure of the southeast but in south central well you sort of do because one of the restrictions is the halibut cannot be filleted. "...halibut that have been filleted, mutilated, or otherwise disfigured in any manner..." its so they can insure your second fish is not more that 29 inches. But since we are talking about Juneau, the 29 inch restriction doesn't apply.

[jrogers]

I'm not sure of the southeast but in south central well you sort of do because one of the restrictions is the halibut cannot be filleted. "...halibut that have been filleted, mutilated, or otherwise disfigured in any manner..." its so they can insure your second fish is not more that 29 inches. But since we are talking about Juneau, the 29 inch restriction doesn't apply.

.

I disagree. What is after the '...' in your quote. The regs then go on to say:

except that each halibut may be cut into no more than 2 ventral pieces, 2 dorsal pieces, and 2 cheek pieces, with skin on all pieces.

[vaaler]

You don't need to retain the carcass at all.

... unless you are a charter.

Big_E

[vaaler]

I think you could pay to have the fish shipped from Elfin Cove back to Juneau. It seems like there are a lot of float plane flights between those locations that you may be able to put some fish boxes on.

Correct. I have done this for years. Cost is around $0.50 per lb. Logistics are easy - no rushing around while fish are thawing - because the float plane companies have freezers in the Juneau airport. On our last day in town we have breakfast at Donna's then stroll over to the airport, pick up our fish, and check in for our flight home.

Big_E

[Bill S.]

Its ok to disagree jrogers and I should have clarified. Vallers did it for me, if you are on a charter up here you cannot filet your halibut on the way back to the dock. If for some reason you do, then you must keep the carcass to be measured. If you are a private boat then the 29 inch rule does not apply and you can fillet the fish.