With fishing fast approaching, Alaska fishing guides are frantically trying to determine what rules they’ll be working under this summer, assuming there will still be some form of mandates related to COVID-19.
Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang has cautioned the sport fishing industry that state and local health mandates will get priority over both commercial and sport fishing if the two conflict.
Both guides and potential clients are cautioned to take the mandates into considering before planning or book trips. The commercial fishing industry has already been aggressively developing plans to let them work within COVID-19 mandates.
Here is the most current directive from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, cautioning guides to work within travel and working mandates from Governor Mike Dunleavy.
“The Division of Sport Fish, ADF&G, is informing sport fishing guides and businesses about the current travel limitations and workforce restrictions in the state of Alaska resulting from efforts to minimize the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19).
“Governor Mike Dunleavy, Division of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Commissioner Adam Crum, and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink have issued 12 Health Mandates as of March 27, 2020. These mandates can be viewed at: https://gov.alaska.gov/home/covid19-healthmandates/ .
“Of greatest relevance to the sport fish guiding industry are Health Mandate 010 – International and Interstate Travel; Health Mandate 011 – Social Distancing; and Health Mandate 012 – Intrastate Travel. These mandates limit travel to and within Alaska, require a mandatory 14-day quarantine to persons traveling to Alaska (residents and nonresidents), and require social distancing statewide.
“In addition, small communities (less than 3,000 residents) off the road system may adopt travel restrictions that are more restrictive than those outlined in Health Mandate 12. This includes the ability to prohibit outside travelers to that community.
“Fishing has been identified as critical infrastructure industry in Health Mandate 012 – Attachment A(g) (see updated Attachment A at the link below). Sport fish guides and businesses will need to comply with all issued Health Mandates to operate in Alaska at this time. In addition, as a critical infrastructure industry, you must take reasonable care to protect your staff and operations during the pandemic.
“You must submit a travel plan or protocol for maintaining critical infrastructure to akcovidplans@ak-prepared.com. This plan should outline how you will avoid the spread of COVID-19 and not endanger the lives of the communities in which you operate, of others who serve as a part of that infrastructure, or the ability of that critical infrastructure to function. This is also described in Health Mandate 012. These mandates will be reevaluated on April 11, 2020 (Mandates 11 and 12) or April 21, 2020 (Mandate 10) and may be extended or modified at that time.
“Sport fishing guides and businesses are encouraged to follow COVID-19 updates in Alaska at the Division of Health and Social Services website at: http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Epi/id/Pages/COVID-19/default.aspx Thanks for your patience and understanding during these difficult times.”
Tom Taube, Deputy Director if available to answer quesetions at (907)465-6184.
