If you did a Google search for Alaska halibut fishing regulations and clicked on the Nordic Quest site, what I am writing about today is simply that the International Pacific Halibut Commission will be meeting all week in Seattle starting Monday, January 13th, and considering catch sharing plans and allocations recommended by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. There will be some interesting staff reports on the 2013 halibut fishery, and stock assessment but the big issue will be Area by Area harvest decisions and regulatory proposals affecting charter and commercial fishing.
Beginning with the 2014 season, the Catch Sharing Plan (CSP) for Areas 2C and 3A will apply to both the commercial and charter fishery replacing the old Guideline Harvest Level (GHL). At a December 12, 2013 meeting, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted a recommendation for the 2014 season where 18.3% of the CSP would be the charter sport allocation in Area 2C. This is Southeast Alaska waters south and east of Cape Spencer and is the area from Dixon Entrance outside and inside waters up to and including Icy Strait and Cross Sound.
In 2013, the Area 2C commercial halibut catch was slightly over the allowable catch at 3,037,000 pounds and up 12.7% from 2012. For the last nine years charter sport fishing had been subject to a Guideline Harvest Level (GHL). The charter sport fishery in Area 2C landed 723,000 pounds in 2013 which was under the GHL by 65,000 pounds or 8.2%. With the GHL criteria gone for 2014, the charter sport allocation of the combined catch would be 760,00 pounds (net weight). For comparison, the private, or non-guided sport fishery, landed 904,000 pounds in 2013. Private catch was down 7.5% from 2012.
Last year the commission approved for the 2013 season a continuation of the one fish retained limit for charter fishermen with a reverse slot size restriction of less than 45 inches and over 68 inches (U45-O68) with the head on. The 2014 proposal to the IPHC by the NPFMC will be to continue the one fish limit but changing the reverse slot size to U45-O76. The slot size could be adjusted if the charter allocation of the CSP is not being met. Another change that could occur for 2014 is the opportunity for charter operators that possess a commercial quota to transfer a limited quantity to allow their charter customers two fish per day. Presumably in 2014, the non-guided sport fishery will remain at two fish per day, any size. We’ll see. With the 2014 season opening the 1st of February, we’ll know soon.
