Board of Game
4/2/09
re: Petition to Repeal Proposal 117

We, the undersigned, hereby support the petition to repeal proposal 117 5ACC 85.065.  This proposal drastically reduced the number of sea ducks that can be harvest in Kachemak Bay.  Resident hunters were dropped from 10 birds daily limit/20 in possession to 2 daily bag limit/ 4 in possession.  We feel the original proposal said nothing about regulation changes such as bag limit reductions, and the public was mislead.

The head state waterfowl biologist Tom Rothe writes, "The department has concluded that the sea duck harvest is not excessive in Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet".  His recommendation for proposal 117 was: "Do not adopt."  Surveys from 1999 to 2003 show from 15,000 to 30,000 ducks wintering in Kachemak Bay.

The Board of Game has made bag limits reductions to sea ducks in 1999 and 2001.  State waterfowl biologists write: "The department does not have concerns that sea ducks are being over harvested and concludes that further restrictions to hunting will not provide conservation benefits to regional winter aggregations or populations of sea ducks."   We believe that the biologist's conclusions should be validated by maintaining the previous bag limit.

Dropping of the bag limit is not necessary and was pursued for an individual's personal benefit and was not based on any scientific necessity. 

 

So that all signing this Petition are Educated on the Topic -
 

Original Proposal -

PROPOSAL 117- 5 ACC 85.065. Hunting seasons and bag limits for small game. Modify the sea duck hunting season for Unit 15 as follows:

Exploitation rates and thresholds of adundnace need to be maintained within easily accessible areas like Kackemak Bay.

ISSUE: Localized depletion of sea duck species from guided hunting.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF NOTHING IS DONE? Depleted areas cannot recover. Most of these ducks are not eaten or utilized.

WILL THE QUILITY OF THE RESEOURCE HARVESTED BE IMPROVED?

WHO WILL BENEFIT?

WHO WILL SUFFER?

OTHER SOLUTIONS CONSIDERED?

PROPOSED BY: Nancy Hillstrand

Taken from -
http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/gameinfo/meetinfo/2008-2009/Spring%202009/propbook-sc-2009.pdf

 

Summary of changes by the Alaska Board of Game for regulatory year 2009-2010.

Unit 15C, Kachemak Bay, modify resident bag limits to 2 seaducks totla per day, 4 in possession (harlequin, long-tails, eiders-((except spectacled or Stellars')), scoters, common mergansers, and red-breasted mergansers) of any species.  Modify nonresident bag limit to 2 seaducks total per day, 4 in possession (harlequin, long-tails, eiders-((except spectacled or Stellars')), scoters, common mergansers, and red-breasted mergansers) of any species, with no change to the season bag limit.

Taken from -
http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/gameinfo/meetinfo/2008-2009/Bogchanges0910.pdf
   
         
     
     
 

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Comments:
Questions About Your Use of Area


Do You Hunt Sea Ducks in the Area?
Are you a Resident of the Area?
Are you a Resident of the Alaska?
Do You Just Care About the Biology of the region?
Do you use the area for other reasons?

 
   
   
I Certify the Above Information and Sign This Petition (Name)
 		 

 
 

We thank you for your support and will add your comments and signature to be presented to the Alaska Board of Game.