If you did a Google search for Alaska halibut fishing regulations and clicked on the Nordic Quest site, what I am\u00a0writing about\u00a0today 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\u00a02013\u00a0halibut fishery, and stock assessment but the big issue will be\u00a0Area by Area harvest decisions and regulatory proposals\u00a0affecting charter\u00a0and commercial fishing.<\/p>\n
Beginning with the 2014 season, the Catch Sharing Plan (CSP) for Areas 2C and 3A\u00a0will apply to both the commercial and charter fishery replacing the old Guideline Harvest Level (GHL). At a\u00a0December 12, 2013 meeting, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted a recommendation\u00a0for the 2014 season\u00a0where 18.3% of the CSP\u00a0would be the charter sport allocation in\u00a0Area 2C. This\u00a0is 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.<\/p>\n
In 2013, the Area 2C commercial halibut catch was\u00a0slightly over the allowable catch at 3,037,000 pounds and\u00a0up 12.7% from 2012. For the last\u00a0nine 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.\u00a0Private catch was down 7.5% from 2012.<\/p>\n
Last year the commission approved for the 2013 season a continuation of the one fish\u00a0retained 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\u00a0will be to continue the one fish limit but\u00a0changing 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\u00a0to allow their charter customers two fish\u00a0per day.\u00a0Presumably in 2014, the non-guided sport\u00a0fishery will\u00a0remain at\u00a0two fish per day, any size. We’ll see. With the 2014 season opening the 1st of February, we’ll know soon.<\/p>\n
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If you did a Google search for Alaska halibut fishing regulations and clicked on the Nordic Quest site, what I am\u00a0writing about\u00a0today is simply that the International Pacific Halibut Commission will be meeting all week in Seattle starting Monday, January … Continue reading