Alaska Federal Fishing Permit: What You Need to Know

Do you want to expand your fishing business into Alaska, but aren’t sure what the permit specifications are? Have you gotten to the point where you want to get your fishing business in Alaska off the ground and want to be in compliance? The next step may be to get an Alaska federal fishing permit. As you might imagine, there are some rigid requirements to these. This could be just the permit you need to take your business where you want to go. Or, alternatively, it might be another permit that allows you to fish the way you want to fish. As ever, we can help. 

Alaska Federal Fishing Permit Explained 

If you want to fish the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, or the Gulf of Alaska for groundfish, then you have to get this permit, period. However, there are others who could use this permit, too. For example, if your vessel is required to retain any bycatch of groundfish and you use it to fish for any non-groundfish species, then you will also have to get this permit. Speaking of groundfish, if you operate a shoreside processor that processes and/or receives groundfish that are harvested from Federal waters, then you’ll also want to make sure that you have this permit. 

The Species You Can Fish With this 

As you might imagine, this particular form of documentation covers many different kinds of species. In a general sense, this fishing permit is for those who are fishing Sockeye Salmon, Sablefish, Coho Salmon and Chum Salmon as well as Chinook Salmon. Many who fish Pacific Herring and Pacific Halibut also find that they need this particular permit, too. Of course, if you’re fishing Alaska Groundfish, it’s good to either get this permit or to talk to the professionals as to whether or not it’s a good idea. 

Who This Permit is For 

As of this writing, the vessels have to be designated on the licenses. We say “as of this writing” because the laws can change in regards to this. Additionally, you probably want to look into this permit if you own stationary floating processors that operate entirely within the state waters of Alaska. As with all forms of permits and documentation, it is better to be “safe” rather than “sorry.” This is why our experienced staff is happy to answer any questions you might have. 

Fishing in and Around Alaska

There’s no getting around it: getting the right permit (or combinations of permits) for commercially fishing in Alaska can be difficult. At times, it can be downright confusing, particularly if you’ve never done it before. These are just some of the reasons that we work as hard as we can to simplify the process. Our site is mobile optimized, which means it opens on just about any kind of device from anywhere, so long as you have an internet connection. To speak to a member of our staff about these permits or others, just email us on our site or call (866) 292-4204.