Get Ready for Board of Fish: How to Track Proposals, Hit Deadlines, and Make Your Voice Count

Posted on September 18, 2025

Alaska’s Board of Fisheries (BOF) sets seasons, gear, and allocation rules for subsistence, commercial, sport, and personal-use fisheries in state waters. The 2025/26 cycle is underway, and there are multiple chances for fishermen, Tribes, communities, and small businesses to weigh in.

What’s on deck this cycle (dates & deadlines)

BOF’s tentative schedule and written comment deadlines are set for each meeting. Mark your calendar, then scroll to “How to comment” below.

• Work Session (ACRs, cycle organization, Stocks of Concern) — Oct 28–29, 2025, Anchorage. Comment deadline: Oct 13, 2025.

• Alaska Peninsula, Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea & Chignik Pacific Cod — Oct 30–31, 2025, Anchorage. Comment deadline: Oct 15, 2025.

• Arctic/Yukon/Kuskokwim (AYK) Finfish — Nov 18–22, 2025, Fairbanks. Comment deadline: Nov 3, 2025.

• Bristol Bay Finfish — Jan 13–17, 2026, Anchorage. Comment deadline: Dec 29, 2025.

• Alaska Peninsula/Aleutian/Chignik Finfish — Feb 18–24, 2026, Anchorage. Comment deadline: Feb 3, 2026.

• Statewide Finfish & Supplemental Issues — Mar 17–20, 2026, Anchorage. Comment deadline: Mar 2, 2026.

  
  

Note: The proposal deadline for this cycle has passed (Apr 10, 2025). The Agenda Change Request deadline was Aug 29, 2025.

Find the proposals that affect you

The 2025–2026 Proposal Book page is the hub. As of early September, PDFs for Pacific Cod (AP/AI/BS/Chignik), AYK Finfish, Bristol Bay Finfish, and AP/AI/Chignik Finfish are posted; Statewide Finfish proposals will be added later.

How to comment (written & oral)

Written comments:

• Comments are due roughly two weeks before each meeting (see the specific date above). Submit online via the Board of Fisheries website or send by mail/fax; email submissions are not accepted. Keep to ≤100 single-sided pages and include your name/org, proposal numbers, and whether you support/oppose each item with clear reasoning. On-time comments go in board members’ workbooks.

If you miss the deadline:

• You can still provide “Record Copies” (RCs) at the meeting; check the specific meeting page for instructions.

Public testimony (in person):

• Individuals are typically limited to 3 minutes; Advisory Committees and Regional Advisory Councils usually receive 10 minutes. Each meeting posts sign-up details and RC logs on its info page. Watch those pages as the meeting approaches.

Work with your local Advisory Committee (AC)

ACs are community forums that review proposals and send recommendations to the BOF. Connect with your regional Boards Support coordinator to find AC meetings near you or to get help navigating the process.

Stay current (and make it easy on yourself)

• Subscribe to BOF email notices for meeting updates, proposal postings, and comment logistics.

• Keep the Proposal Book page and your meeting’s info page handy to track RCs and sign-up instructions.

AMCC’s quick tips for effective comments

• Be specific: Cite proposal numbers; explain how a change would affect safety, access, bycatch, markets, or community well-being. (One short paragraph per proposal helps.)

• Offer fixes: If you oppose, suggest alternate season dates, gear limitations, or performance standards that meet conservation goals and work on the water.

• Bring local knowledge + data: Pair your experience with logs, receipts, or AC minutes to ground your point.

• Coordinate: Where possible, align with your AC, Tribal government, city/borough, or fishermen’s association for clarity and impact.

  
  

Check out AMCC’s Fisherman Policy Engagement Toolkit for a deeper dive into the how and why of state-level fisheries engagement.