RULES (Changes are noted with an asterisk)
Dates & Times
The 2008 Derby runs around the clock beginning at 6:00 AM opening day,
Saturday, August 9, 2008. Closing day is Sunday, August 17, 2008 at
noon (12:00 PM).
Starting & Ending the Derby
The official start and end of the Derby shall be made by the firing of an
explosive, gunshot, and/or warning signal.
Entry Fees
The Derby fee is $50 for the entire
Derby or $10 for one day. Tickets may be purchased at the Seward Chamber of
Commerce office, Derby Headquarters in the Small Boat Harbor, The Fish
House, The Bay Barge Company, Miller's Landing, and aboard many Chartered fishing vessels.
* The new ticket prices are reduced from last
year's event.
Eligibility
Any contestant who complies with the rules is eligible. Contestant must have
an official validated Derby ticket prior to the time of the catch and fish
must be caught on the date(s) indicated on the Derby ticket.
All contestants must have a current sport fishing
license as required by the Alaska Department of Fish and Wildlife (children
under 16 years of age are not required to possess a sport fishing license;
however, adult supervision is suggested). All entrants shall abide by Alaska
Department of Fish and Game regulations.
Entrants may not proxy fish on behalf of
another individual while participating in the Derby; individuals may not
proxy fish on behalf of a Derby entrant.
Seward Chamber of Commerce Board Members, Staff & their immediate family are ineligible to win
tagged fish prizes. Derby officials and all persons present at tagging are
also ineligible to win tagged fish prizes. Only persons under 16 years of age are
eligible for “youth” category prizes.
Entrants fishing with Non-entrants*
Entrants may not share a vessel with
non-entrants with the following
exceptions: 1. while onboard a charter vessel engaged in a
passenger-for-hire service with a captain who has pre-registered with the
Seward Chamber to act as a Derby witness. It is the responsibility of the
boat captain to ensure that Derby participants comply with the rules
concerning hooking and landing. Violation of this rule will disqualify the
Captain, the boat, and its occupants for the duration of the 2007 Derby. 2.
while onboard a private vessel provided the non-entrants are not engaged in
any fishing activity related to any species at any time during the duration
of the voyage. Fishing activity includes handling tackle, rods, bait,
gaffs, nets, filleting, possession of fish, etc; and 3. children under the
age of five are considered non-entrants and may be aboard a participating
vessel without a personal entry ticket.
* Conditions under which non-entrants may
share in the fishing outing were defined in 2007, including the
addition of a children's provision.
Validation
Tickets must be validated for the day the fish is caught for the fish to be
eligible for Derby prizes. Validations will be done at ticket sales
outlets. Opening day validations will begin at 5:30 AM at all ticket
sale locations. Derby entrants engaged in overnight trips must have a
valid ticket for each day of the voyage, including the date of return to
Resurrection Bay. Tickets sold on board a charter fishing vessel must
be reported by ticket number to the assigned Chamber contact by 9:00 a.m. on
the day sold to be considered valid. Ticket numbers may be reported by
telephone, either live or by leaving a message, or e-mail.
Photographs
Photographs of contestants become property of the Seward Chamber of Commerce
and may be used for publicity purposes without compensation.
Boats
All participating vessels must depart from and return to Resurrection Bay on the same voyage (overnight
trips are eligible provided they start from and terminate in Resurrection
Bay, even if the vessel docks elsewhere during the course of the multi-day
voyage). Beginning in 2007, participating anglers may fish inside OR
OUTSIDE of Resurrection Bay, but because the bag and possession limits
differ inside and outside of the Bay, participants must carefully adhere to
ADF&G regulations applicable to each area.
Every vessel propelled by a motor must have its name or number clearly
displayed in conformity with the Alaska State Safe Boating Law. If the
boat is so new that is has not received a name or number, the boat may be
excused if the owner has a receipt to show that application has been made.
Numbers and a temporary certificate can be obtained at Alaska State Safe
Boating office. All boats must comply with the State of Alaska safety
equipment requirements, particularly a Coast Guard approved lifesaving
device, accessible and ready for use, for each person on board. All
charter boats must comply with U.S. Coast Guard licensing requirements, have
a current City of Seward business license, and have current P&I insurance as
required by the City of Seward Harbor Department. All boats must be
available for examination at any time.
Tackle
Silver Salmon to be entered in the Derby must be caught on sportfish rod and reel.
Entrants may have only one line in the water at a time. Entrants shall
hook and reel up their fish unassisted. Assistance may be provided
only to safely bring the fish aboard the vessel. Violation of these rules will
permanently disqualify any individual on shore, or a boat and all its occupants.
Judging Standards*
All fish must be hooked in the mouth. Only
Silver Salmon weighing three pounds (3 lbs.) or over can be entered. Prizes
are awarded by weight (heaviest fish receives 1st Place Prize).
Any fish weighed at Derby Headquarters are considered Derby entries and
become the property of the Seward Silver Salmon Derby® (all proceeds from
fish sales are used to support Resurrection Bay Fish Enhancement efforts and
approved programs). Participants may buy their fish back for $5 at the
time of weigh-in only. Only the entrant who actually caught the fish
may buy it back and it is illegal in Alaska to sell the fish to another
party. This law is enforced and violators may be subject to a monetary
fine by the State of Alaska.
* The rules reinforce Alaska state law
which disallows the sale of sport-caught fish from one angler to another
individual.
Weigh-in Procedures
All fish to be weighed and entered must be
presented in the round (fresh, whole, and uncut) at the judge’s stand at the
Derby headquarters in the Small Boat Harbor. The Derby headquarters will be
open from 6:00 AM until 10:00 PM daily except for the final Sunday (6:00 AM
to 12:00 PM). All weighed fish become property of the Seward Silver Salmon
Derby®. An entrant must show his validated ticket at the time of weighing
in of fish. Entrants must sign the official weigh-in ticket. All fish may
be opened and checked. All fish weighing 16 pounds or more or those
eligible for placement in the top ten heaviest fish will be checked by a
Derby judge. If a “snag” mark is found on any fish, that fish may be
entered in the Derby for the purposes of contributing to the Fish
Enhancement Fund, but is not eligible for any prizes. Any evidence of fish
tampering will result in permanent disqualification.
Silver Salmon Derby Rules and Decisions
Judges shall be appointed by the Seward
Chamber of Commerce and contacted as needed by the Chamber employee on site
at Derby Headquarters. Weigh-in officials are volunteers coordinated by the
Seward Chamber. The Derby Judges’ decision(s) and rules of the Derby herein
described shall be considered final and binding upon both participant and
sponsor(s), except that the Seward Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
has the power to make decisions in all matters pertaining to the Derby,
including eligibility, weights, time limits, fishing limits, right to
receive awards and all matters relative to participation in and conduct of
the Derby. Judges may disqualify a fish or fisherman for any reason
whatsoever and decisions of judges on all matters pertaining to this contest
shall be final.
Should there be doubt as to the weigh-in
official or judge’s decision regarding whether or not an entrant’s fish is a
Silver Salmon, it will be weighed in and a Fish & Game Biologist will render
the decision. If it is not a Silver Salmon, it will be disqualified.
Prizes
With the exception of Tagged Fish, all prizes
will be awarded within ten (10) days of the close of the Derby. Prizes are
based on weight of fish at time of entry. Ties for any place will be broken
by the flip of a coin. The loser will be entitled to the next prize in
line. Those entrants awarded a total of $600 or more from all awarded
categories must complete IRS paperwork prior to receiving their prize(s).
(See “taxes” below.) No merchandise prizes may be redeemed for cash. No
prizes may be exchanged. Winners need not be present to win, although all
prizes must be claimed in Seward within thirty (30) days after the prize
list is made public by the Seward Chamber of Commerce. Final prize list is
binding and no other prize lists are valid. All unclaimed prizes become the
property of the Seward Chamber of Commerce.
The value shown on the prize list is set by
the sponsors. The Seward Chamber of Commerce will not be responsible if any
prize proves to be of less value than what is shown in the sponsor’s
estimates.
Tagged Fish
A total of one (1) tagged fish qualifies for
a $50,000 cash prize. Other tagged prizes are assigned randomly, using a
double-blind method. The associated value of each fish tag is not known
until the entrant opens the sealed envelope that corresponds to the tag
number caught. All tagged fish caught will be worth at least $100 if
presented to a Derby official for verification prior to the start of the
Derby or through September 30, 2008. Envelopes for tag numbers caught prior
to the Derby, caught by non-entrants, or disqualified from the Derby will
not be opened.
Daily Prizes
Various daily prizes are offered for men,
women, and youth. Daily prizes are awarded based on weigh or randomly,
depending on the conditions associated with the specific prize. Each fish
entered increases a participant’s chances to win the daily random drawing,
which is drawn from the weigh-in tickets turned in each day.
Taxes
Any taxes on cash or other prizes are the sole responsibility of the
individual winner. Certain prize winners will be asked to provide their tax
identification number on an official IRS form. Failure to do so will result in the
Chamber involuntarily withholding 30% of the prize amount prior to award as
per federal income tax regulations.
Waiver of Liability
The purchase of a Derby ticket constitutes a waiver of liability absolving
the Seward Chamber of Commerce, it's officers, directors, staff, and sponsors
of
any and all damages or liability which may occur after entering the Derby.
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