2009 HALIBUT LANDING REPORT NO. 6

Quota Share Commercial Fisheries Update

The 2009 quota share halibut fisheries opened on March 21. It is estimated that the following catches and numbers of landings were made in the Alaskan IFQ and CDQ fisheries and in the British Columbian IVQ fishery through August 2, 2009.

*revised

The catch off Alaska represents 56% of the 2009 commercial fishery catch limit. For comparison, 30.3 million pounds, or 60% of the 2008 catch limit, were landed in the Alaskan fishery by this same date in 2008; however, the opening date of the 2008 fishery occurred 13 days earlier in the year than that of the 2009 fishery. Thus, to compare opening periods, during the first 134 days of the 2008 Alaskan commercial halibut fishery, 27.1 million pounds, or 54% of the catch limit, were landed.

The catch from British Columbian waters represents 54% of the 2009 commercial fishery catch limit. For comparison, 4.7 million pounds, or 59% of the 2008 catch limit, had been landed from Area 2B by this same date in 2008. Comparing opening periods, during the first 134 days of the 2008 IVQ fishery, 4.4 million pounds, or 56% of the catch limit, had been landed.

Annette Islands Reserve Fishery in Area 2C

The Metlakatla Indian Community has been authorized by the United States Government to conduct a commercial halibut fishery within the Annette Islands Reserve. The fourth 48-hour opening of the 2009 season occurred between June 26 and June 28 and resulted in the landing of 466 pounds of halibut. After four openings, a grand total of 12,191 pounds of halibut has been landed in 2009. The Metlakatla Indian Community and the Bureau of Indian Affairs will announce future halibut openings.

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