HALIBUT COMMISSION COMPLETES 1996 ANNUAL MEETING

The International Pacific Halibut Commission completed its 72^nd Annual Meeting in Bellevue, Washington, with Steven Pennoyer of Juneau, Alaska presiding as chairman. The Commission received regulatory proposals for 1996 from the scientific staff, Canadian and United States fishermen and processors, and other fishery agencies. The Commission has a long history of acting responsibly and conservatively on behalf of the halibut resource. Given a high degree of uncertainty regarding the halibut biomass assessments this year, the Commission adopted a precautionary approach in setting catch limits for 1996. The precautionary approach to fisheries management has recently been incorporated into a new global fisheries treaty - the United Nations Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks. Canada and the United States are signatories.

The Commission reviewed concerns about the impact of bycatch on halibut stocks and the serious efforts taken by both Parties to reduce halibut bycatch mortality. The Canadian delegation expressed its disappointment that the United States had not achieved greater reductions since the end of 1993. Canada and the United States adopted a joint resolution to reaffirm their 1991 commitment to progressively reduce halibut bycatch mortality. The Commission agreed to convene a special meeting of the Parties in June 1996 to review the effectiveness and further develop each country's bycatch reduction programs and to consider new procedures to compensate the halibut biomass for losses due to bycatch mortality. The Commission also agreed to convene a joint meeting with the North Pacific Fishery Management Council in June 1996 to discuss halibut bycatch reduction programs in United States fisheries, including implementation of an Individual Bycatch Quota program or other similar incentive-based halibut reduction programs. The United States agreed to move as quickly as possible to implement a vessel incentive bycatch reduction program to achieve these goals.

The Commission is recommending to the governments of Canada and the United States catch limits for 1996 totaling 48,660,000 pounds, the same level as in 1995. The recommended catch limits in Area 2A (California, Oregon, and Washington), Area 2B (British Columbia), Area 2C (southeastern Alaska), Area 3A (central Gulf), Area 3B (western Gulf), Area 4A (eastern Aleutians), Area 4B (western Aleutians), Area 4C (Pribilof Islands), Area 4D (northwestern Bering Sea), and Area 4E (Bering Sea flats) are shown in the following table:

The Commission was pleased with reports it received from National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and Department of Fisheries and Oceans regarding their Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) and Individual Vessel Quota (IVQ) management programs off Alaska and Canada. The Commission approved a U.S. underage/overage program in the Alaskan IFQ fishery.

The treaty Indian commercial fishery in Area 2A, the Canadian IVQ fishery in Area 2B, and the United States IFQ fisheries in Areas 2C, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and 4E will all commence at 12 noon local time on March 15 and terminate at 12 noon local time on November 15.

In Area 2A, six 10-hour fishing periods for the non-treaty directed commercial fishery are recommended for July 10, July 24, August 14, August 28, September 11, and September 25. All fishing periods will begin at 8:00 a.m. and end at 6:00 p.m. local time, and be further restricted by fishing period limits. Fishing dates for an incidental commercial catch halibut fishery will be established under United States domestic regulations established by NMFS, and will be concurrent with salmon troll fishing seasons in Area 2A.

A catch sharing plan among Area 2A user groups developed by the Pacific Fishery Management Council, including sport fishing seasons, will be implemented under regulations promulgated by NMFS.

As in 1995, IPHC will issue licenses valid only for fishing in Alaskan waters, sport charter fishing in Area 2B, and fishing in Area 2A. A vessel fishing in Area 2A may apply for ONLY ONE of three license options: 1) A license for the directed commercial fishery; 2) A license for the incidental commercial catch fishery concurrent with the salmon troll fishery; or 3) A license for the sport charter boat fishery.

AREA 2A LICENSES ISSUED FOR THE DIRECTED COMMERCIAL FISHERY WILL NOT BE ISSUED IF THE LICENSE APPLICATIONS ARE POSTMARKED AFTER 11:59 P.M. ON APRIL 30.

AREA 2A LICENSES ISSUED FOR THE INCIDENTAL COMMERCIAL CATCH FISHERY WILL NOT BE ISSUED IF THE LICENSE APPLICATIONS ARE POSTMARKED AFTER 11:59 P.M. ON APRIL 1 (AS MARCH 31^ST IS A SUNDAY).

Logbook information required of Alaskan commercial halibut fishermen may be kept in their NMFS groundfish catcher vessel logbooks.

In 1996 the Commission regulations will prohibit "fletching" or filleting at sea. New regulations authorize "cheeking" of halibut catch on board freezer vessels fishing in Alaskan waters.

Some modifications in the vessel clearance requirements have been established for Area 4. Any vessel that is used to fish for halibut only in Area 4A and lands its total annual halibut catch at a port within Area 4A is exempt from clearance requirements. Local vessels in the other subareas have been exempt in the past, and continue to be exempt from the clearance requirements. Non-local vessel clearances required prior to fishing in Areas 4C and 4D are now obtained in St. Paul or St. George. Non-local vessel clearances required at the completion of fishing in Areas 4C and 4D can be obtained at St. Paul, St. George, Dutch Harbor, or Akutan. The clearances obtained at St. Paul or St. George may be obtained via VHF radio provided visual identification of the vessel can be confirmed from shore. Clearance requirements for non-local vessels of Areas 4A and 4B are unchanged from 1995.

New regulations for Area 4 will allow vessels to fish in more than one subarea (4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E) during the same trip. However, a vessel may fish in multiple subareas during the same trip only if the vessel carries a NMFS - certified observer at all times and identifies the fish to the area from which it is caught. The regulations require fishermen to identify the subarea from which the halibut was caught in order to obtain important stock data. However, the regulations will allow fishermen to choose the most practical and effective methods for identifying or segregating their catch by subarea. Methods could include separating fish in the hold, or tagging fish with colored bands or tags.

In Areas 2C, 3A, and 3B multi-area trips are allowed as authorized by United States regulations implementing the IFQ program, but only if fishermen identify the halibut to the area from which it was caught. Again, fishermen may choose their own methods for identifying or segregating their catch by area.

The Area 2B sport fish possession limit was increased from 2 fish to 3 fish. The daily bag limit remains unchanged at 2 fish.

The Commission approved a proposal by Northwest Food Strategies for limited retention of dead trawl-caught halibut landed shoreside. The proposal includes limited participation from Unisea Seafoods, Westward Seafoods, and Alyeska Seafoods in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. This one year pilot program will be implemented by NMFS, limited to 50,000 pounds net weight for the 1996 season, and used to gather detailed bycatch information not previously available.

The recommended regulations for the 1996 halibut fishery will become official as soon as they are approved by the Canadian and United States Governments. The Commission will publish and distribute regulation pamphlets.

The Canadian delegation proposed that the formula for sharing the joint expenses of the Commission be revised based on the proportion of catches of Pacific halibut taken from the Parties' respective waters. The Parties agreed to convene a special meeting in June 1996 to explore the Canadian proposal.

The next annual meeting of the Commission will be held in Victoria, British Columbia, from January 27 to 30, 1997. The Canadian Government commissioner, Richard J. Beamish, was elected chairman for the coming year. Other Canadian commissioners are Gregg Best and Brian Van Dorp. United States commissioners are Steven Pennoyer, Kris Norosz, and Ralph Hoard. Donald McCaughran is director of the Commission and Stephen Hoag is assistant director.

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