Can the salmon net area be changed once the trolling immediately, or it may be later in the year if vessel has been registered? you only fish the summer season and intend to use the boat for sport fishing in the meantime. Commercial If the vessel has been registered for a salmon net area but has not yet fished in that registration area, Can foreign vessels be licensed in Alaska? a Vessel License Change of Information form must be submitted along with the current year vessel A vessel that is documented in a foreign country Fishing license receipt. cannot be licensed to fish commercially in Alaskan waters, the Federal waters of the exclusive Once the vessel has fished in the initial area of economic zone or to process fish, unless approved salmon registration, it cannot be registered for an- by the Governor. However, a 1989 opinion from the other area unless there is an authorization from the Attorney General’s office determined that foreign Vessel Commissioner of Fish and Game, or his/her desig- vessels may be licensed to operate as tenders or nee. Authorization may be allowed only if a vessel packers, provided they take product on board only has been lost, destroyed or suffered extensive in established ports, harbors, roadsteads, and not mechanical breakdown, or if the vessel operator at sea. Foreign vessels which are used in fisheries Licenses has suffered a serious illness, injury or death. occurring outside Alaska waters, primarily in Can- ada, may obtain Alaska vessel licenses in order to deliver catch to processors in Alaska, but they must clear customs when entering Alaska waters. For more detailed information, contact the Commission. Foreign vessels under 5 net tons can be licensed to commercial fish in Alaska only if the vessel is registered under the laws of the State. A copy of the state registration and the net tonnage certificate must be submitted with the Commercial Vessel License Application form. For information regarding foreign vessels over 5 net tons, contact the United States Coast Guard at 1-800-799-8362. Can sport fishing be done from commercially licensed vessels?

There may be restrictions and ADFG regulations should be consulted prior to participation. Vessels must be licensed with ADFG for guided sport fish- Commercial Fisheries ing. Entry Commission When does a vessel have to be registered for commercial trolling? P.O. Box 110302 Commercial hand and power troll vessels must be registered for trolling prior to participating in the Juneau, AK 99811-0302 fishery. Once the vessel has been registered for This summary information is presented as a courtesy by commercial trolling, there may be restrictions on its the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission but does not (907) 789-6150 Licensing Section use for sport fishing. Contact the ADFG Division of modify or replace the agency’s statutory requirements in AS Sport Fish for further information. 16.43 or regulatory requirements in Chapter 5 of Title 20, Toll-Free in Alaska 1-855-789-6150 Alaska Administrative Code. (907) 789-6160 CFEC Reception To register for trolling, check the appropriate box on Photos courtesy of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. the vessel license application form and indicate the (907) 789-6170 (fax) date you want your troll registration to be effective. This may be the current date if you intend to start Revised November 2016 www.cfec.state.ak.us What vessels have to be licensed for What does a vessel license consist of? If I buy a new boat, can I keep my old boat’s commercial fishing? ADFG number to use on the new boat? If the vessel is being licensed for the first time, the Vessels used for commercial fishing or related license will include a triangular metal plate with No. The ADFG number is permanently assigned activities must be licensed by the Commission. a permanent ADFG number assigned to the ves- to a single vessel and is not transferable. This includes fishing vessels, tender/packers, sel. Whether it is a new license or a renewal, it will and processing and transporter vessels. Guided also include a triangular decal showing the year charter vessels must be licensed with the Alaska for which the license is valid and a printed vessel Does the vessel need to have an Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG). The license receipt. If the vessel is used to fish salmon registration or USCG documentation number United States Coast Guard (USCG) documents a with net gear, a salmon net area registration in order to be licensed? vessel of 5 net tons or more and the Alaska Divi- decal is also required. sion of Motor Vehicles (DMV) registers vessels Yes, a copy of the current Alaska registration or under 5 net tons. What happens if the vessel license sticker or USCG documentation must be submitted with the application. All vessels powered by a minimum vessel license receipt is lost? Are there any exceptions to the vessel license of 10 hp used on navigable waters which are not requirement? documented vessels, are required to have Alaska If the vessel license sticker, metal plate, or license registration numbers issued by DMV. Vessels receipt is lost, a replacement may be obtained by AS 16.05.495 specifies that a vessel used over 5 net tons are issued a USCG documenta- completing a Request for Duplicate License form, tion number. exclusively for the commercial capture of salmon available from CFEC, local ADFG offices or our in commercial salmon management areas which website at www.cfec.state.ak.us. There is a fee for include State waters between the latitude of Point Is the vessel license all that is needed in a duplicate metal plate, and a fee to replace the an- order for the vessel to be fished in Alaska? Romanof and Cape Newenham and State waters nual sticker and/or license receipt. surrounding Nunivak Island, or at a set net site, is exempt from the licensing requirements of Many fisheries have additional licensing or AS 16.05.490. registration requirements. Check with local ADFG offices for additional requirements. How do I obtain a vessel license? Once the vessel is licensed, can it be used in A Commercial Vessel License Application form all fisheries in Alaska? must be completed and submitted with the ap- propriate fee to the Commercial Fisheries Entry Many fisheries in Alaska have area registration Commission (CFEC). Applications are available requirements which restrict the use of the vessel from CFEC, from ADFG offices or our web site at to a particular area of the State. For instance, www.cfec.state.ak.us. salmon purse seine or net gear vessels may only be used to fish salmon in one administrative area Who can apply for the license? each year. If a vessel is bought or sold, how is ownership The Commercial Vessel License Application form How is a vessel registered for a salmon net should be completed by the legal owner of the changed in the records? vessel or an authorized agent of the owner, such area? as the skipper operating the vessel. However, the If a vessel is bought, and it has not been licensed legal owner’s name and address must be CFEC’s Commercial Vessel License Application for the current year, the new owner may simply form contains a space to designate one area in provided on the form, as well as Social Security complete a Commercial Vessel License Application Number and date of birth. Once the vessel is which the vessel will fish salmon with net gear. form. Ownership will be changed automatically, as The numbers of the CFEC purse seine or net licensed for the calendar year, it may be operated long as all necessary information has been pro- by anyone who holds the appropriate permits. gear permits that will be fished on the vessel vided. must also be provided. When the vessel is How much does a vessel license cost? registered for a salmon net area, the area will be If the vessel is already licensed for the year, the printed on the vessel license receipt. If the vessel new owner should obtain the current vessel license Vessel license fees are assessed depending is being registered for the area for the first time, a receipt from the seller. This should be submitted small rectangular area decal will also be issued. upon the overall length of the vessel. Vessel with a completed Vessel License Change of license fees are not refundable, even if the vessel The decal is to be attached to the metal ADFG Information form. The form may be validated by a number plate. New area decals will not be is- is not used in the fishery. Vessel license appli- CFEC employee, ADFG employee, or the Alaska cants receiving a new ADFG number, must also sued in subsequent years, as long as the vessel Wildlife Troopers, so that the new owner may retain remains registered for the same area. submit a one-time fee for the initial issuance of a copy to use as a temporary license while waiting the ADFG triangle metal plate. for the new license to arrive in the mail.