HALIBUT COMMISSION COMPLETES 1998 ANNUAL MEETING

The International Pacific Halibut Commission completed its 74th Annual Meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, with Steven Pennoyer of Juneau, Alaska presiding as Chairman. The Commission is recommending to the governments of Canada and the United States catch limits for 1998 totaling 71,820,000 pounds, compared to 66,200,000 pounds in 1997. The increased catch limits resulted from the staff’s assessment of the halibut resource and reflect healthy stock conditions. These increases also reflect advice on IPHC staff recommendations, received from the industry.

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 (NPFMC) in October 1998 to discuss halibut bycatch and other issues of mutual concern.

The Commission received regulatory proposals for 1998 from the scientific staff, Canadian and United States fishermen and processors, and other fishery agencies. The Commission will recommend to the governments the following catch limits for 1998 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):

The catch limits for Regulatory Areas 4C, 4D, and 4E reflect the catch sharing plan implemented by the NPFMC. The NPFMC modified its catch sharing plan in Area 4 to allow the Commission to set biologically-based catch limits for Areas 4A, 4B, and a combined Area 4C-D-E.

In Area 2A, five 10-hour fishing periods for the non-treaty directed commercial fishery are recommended for July 22, August 12, August 26, September 9, and September 23. All fishing periods will begin at 8:00 a.m. and end at 6:00 p.m. local time, and will 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 National Marine Fisheries Service (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 IPHC sport charter vessel licenses for Alaska or British Columbia in 1998. The licensing of all Area 2A vessels will continue as in 1997. 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 1998, all United States commercial vessels 26 feet and over fishing for halibut are required to keep the halibut log information in one of the following three logbooks: the NMFS catcher vessel daily fishing logbook, Alaska hook-and-line sablefish logbook, or the logbook issued by IPHC. The IPHC-issued logbooks are available from the Seattle office of IPHC, and are currently the green hard-covered books the Commission has provide for many years. They will also be available during the fishing season from IPHC port samplers, NMFS Enforcement, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Closed Area in the Bering Sea was redefined to allow vessels from False Pass to transit and possess halibut on board the vessel while in part of Isanotski Strait. The area of Isanotski Strait between 55° 00" N and 54° 49" N latitude is still closed to halibut fishing, but persons on board the vessels can have halibut in their possession.

The Commission approved an experimental commercial longline fishery for halibut in the Chukchi Sea (north of Area 4D) for 1998. The plan for an experimental fishery will be developed by IPHC, NMFS, Alaska Department of Fish &Game (ADF&G). The fishery will be limited to 20,000 pounds of halibut, and ADF&G will provide a report to the Commission in January, 1999 detailing the results from the fishery.

The Commission relaxed existing regulations on the minimum size limit to allow Community Development Quota (CDQ) fishers in Area 4E to land undersized halibut caught with commercial gear for subsistence use. This action helped implement allocation decisions made by the NPFMC and does not pose a conservation or an enforcement concern.

The IPHC staff and the Processors Advisory Group will continue to evaluate the occurrence of chalky halibut, a rare condition that affects the color and texture of halibut flesh. A questionnaire will be sent again in 1998 to all halibut processors, the media, and fisher’s groups to determine the magnitude, areas, and timing of chalky halibut.

At the 1996 Annual Meeting, the Commission approved a pilot program proposed by Northwest Food Strategies for limited retention of dead trawl-caught halibut for donation to food banks. A variety of technical and legal problems delayed the program. At the 1998 Annual Meeting, the Commission agreed with proposed NMFS regulations to allow halibut donation, and modified Commission regulations to allow retention for this purpose only. The Commission specified that the donation program would be limited to 50,000 pounds, limited to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and that donated halibut should meet industry quality standards. The Commission will review the donation program annually.

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

The recommended regulations for the 1998 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 next annual meeting of the Commission will be held in Prince Rupert or Victoria, British Columbia, from January 25 to 28, 1999. The Canadian Government commissioner Richard J. Beamish was elected Chairman for the coming year. Other Canadian commissioners are Gregg Best and Rodney Pierce. United States commissioners are Steven Pennoyer, Andrew Scalzi, and Ralph Hoard. Bruce Leaman is director of the Commission and Stephen Hoag is assistant director.

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