IPHC WORKSHOP ON BIOMASS APPORTIONMENT

The biomass apportionment workshop will be held at the Red Lion Hotel in Bellevue, Washington on September 4th, 2008. At the 2008 Annual Meeting, the IPHC Commissioners and industry endorsed the coastwide stock assessment methodology but wished to have further investigation of methods for apportioning the coastwide exploitable biomass estimate into IPHC regulatory area estimates of biomass and catch limits. In addition, the Commission requested that the staff update industry on the most recent results and understanding of halibut movements arising from Commission tagging programs, particularly the PIT-tag experiment. This workshop will address both of these issues. Registration forms must be received by August 15, 2008. An online registration and other workshop information can be found at:
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/meetings/workshop2008/baw2008.htm

2008 IPHC INTERIM MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

The International Pacific Halibut Commission's 2008 Interim Meeting will be held in Seattle, Washington, on November 19-20, 2008 at the Watertown Hotel (4242 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105). Rooms are available at $149 per night until October 18, 2008. Please identify yourself as attending the 'IPHC Interim Meeting'. For reservations please call (866) 944-4242 or online at www.watertownseattle.com

On Wednesday, November 19, the Commissioners and Commission staff will meet in private to discuss administrative and financial issues internal to the Commission. The Wednesday session will not be open to external agency staff. The following day, Thursday, November 20, the Commission will meet in Administrative Session to hear staff discussion and reports on 2008 research projects and proposed future research projects, as well as stock assessment and recommended catch limits. The meeting is for administrative purposes only and not open to the general public. Commissioners from each government determine attendance at the Administrative Session meeting (Nov. 20th session only) and should be contacted for information and attendance requests. Results from the meeting, including staff assessment of the fishery and catch limit recommendations, will be made public in a news release after the Interim Meeting.

2009 IPHC ANNUAL MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

The Eighty-fifth Annual Meeting of the International Pacific Halibut Commission will be held in Vancouver, BC from Tuesday, January 13 through Friday, January 16, 2009. The sessions will be held at the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel, located at 1128 West Hastings Street Vancouver, British Columbia, V6E 4R5, Canada. A block of rooms has been reserved for attendees at the hotel until December 12 or until the group block is sold-out, at a special rate of $159 USD for a single or double room. A link to online reservations and meeting materials is available at
http://www.iphc.washington.edu/halcom/pubs/annmeet/IPHCAM.htm. Attendees wishing to arrive early may do so starting January 10 and depart as late as January 18, based on availability. Please identify yourself as part of the IPHC 2009 Annual Meeting to receive the special rate and ensure room availability. For reservations please call (604) 684-1128. Reservations can also be faxed to (604) 298-1128.

The Commission will distribute a brief summary of stock assessment information and staff recommendations to the public in December. This information will also be available on the Commission's web page at http://www.iphc.washington.edu. Requests for 2009 catch limit changes should be submitted to the Commission by December 31, 2008. Current information regarding the 2009 Annual Meeting, including regulation and catch limit proposal forms, can be located by following the Annual Meeting hyperlink on the Commission's web site or by calling the IPHC office at (206) 634-1838. The Commission's web site will be updated regularly with new information as the meeting date approaches.

The Commission invites the public to submit requests for 2009 regulatory changes (season length, clearances in Area 4, logbook reporting measures, etc) or management actions for review at the Annual Meeting. The deadline date for submission is October 31, 2008. The Commission will not guarantee consideration of proposals received after this date. The submission form can be downloaded from the IPHC web site or can be requested by calling the Commission offices at (206) 634-1838. A summary of all proposals will be distributed to industry and will also be posted on the IPHC web site when available.

The 2009 IPHC Annual Meeting Schedule of Sessions and the corresponding meeting rooms will be released in November 2008.

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