HALIBUT COMMISSION COMPLETES 1997 ANNUAL MEETING

The International Pacific Halibut Commission completed its 73rd Annual Meeting in Victoria, British Columbia, with Richard Beamish of Nanaimo, British Columbia presiding as chairman. The Commission is recommending to the governments of Canada and the United States catch limits for 1997 totaling 66,200,000 pounds compared to 48,660,000 pounds in 1996. The increased catch limits resulted from a new assessment of the halibut resource and reflect healthy stock conditions.

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 Commission also agreed to convene a joint meeting with the North Pacific Fishery Management Council in April 1997 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 received regulatory proposals for 1997 from the scientific staff, Canadian and United States fishermen and processors, and other fishery agencies. The Commission will recommend to the governments the catch limits for 1997 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):

In Area 2A, six 10-hour fishing periods for the non-treaty directed commercial fishery are recommended for July 8, July 22, August 5, August 19, September 2, and September 16. 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. The remainder of the Area 2A catch sharing plan including sport fishing seasons will be determined under regulations promulgated by NMFS.

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.

The Commission will not issue the IPHC Alaska commercial licenses in 1997. The licensing of commercial vessels in Area 2A and all recreational charter vessels will continue as in 1996. The 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 March 31.

For 1997, the halibut log information does not have to be separate from other records on board the vessels. This change allows vessels to keep fishing log information for sablefish and halibut in one logbook. Halibut log information can still be kept in the NMFS groundfish catcher vessel logbooks. The Commission will issue an official IPHC logbook in 1998.

New regulations will allow vessels to fish in Area 4 and then in Areas 3A, 3B, or 2C 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 that require fishermen to identify the subarea from which the halibut was caught allows the staff 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. The Area 4 Clearance requirements remained the same as in 1996.

The Commission and its advisory bodies held many discussions on sport halibut daily bag limits, possession, and size limits. The Commission determined that bag and possession limits are domestic allocation issues appropriate for resolution by applicable law within the U.S. and Canada. Size limits for the sport fishery will be evaluated this year as part of an on-going study of size limits for the commercial fishery.

The Commission directed the staff to apply for an experimental fishing permit for a pilot program to retain otherwise illegal halibut bycatch, up to 50,000 pounds (net weight), from shore-based trawlers in Dutch Harbor. A pilot program authorized for 1996 retained only 572 pounds because vessels voluntarily abandoning bycatch to the government admit to an illegal act, and because sufficient enforcement officer time at Dutch Harbor was not available. Restrictions developed in an experimental fishing permit, through consultation with government officials, will safeguard the halibut bycatch from unauthorized use. The application will be available for review by the Commission and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council at their joint meeting in April, with the pilot commencing during the pollock "B" season in September.

The Commission staff and the Processors Advisory Group formed a working group to evaluated chalky halibut, a rare condition that reduces the quality of halibut flesh. The working group will develop a questionnaire for distribution to all halibut processors to determine the magnitude, areas, and timing of chalky halibut. Experiments on board Commission stock assessment surveys this summer will study the impacts of handling practices on board fishing vessels for their probability of causing chalky halibut.

Delegates from the Canadian and United States governments conducted a bilateral discussion on a new formula for sharing the joint expenses of the Commission. No agreement was reached and both parties will continue dialog over the coming year.

The recommended regulations for the 1997 halibut fishery will become official as soon as they are approved by the Canadian and United States Governments. The Commission will publish and distribute regulations pamphlets.

The next annual meeting of the Commission will be held in Anchorage, Alaska from January 26 to 29, 1998. The United States Government commissioner, Steven Pennoyer was elected chairman for the coming year. Other United States commissioners are Kris Norosz and Ralph Hoard. Canadian commissioners are Richard Beamish, Gregg Best, and Brian Van Dorp. Donald McCaughran is director of the Commission and Stephen Hoag is assistant director.

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